51茶馆儿

Rex Smith, editor of the Times Union newspaper, called for journalists to maintain the difficult task of reporting the truth to
the public and for readers to become more educated about the news amid increasing challenges to journalism in a digital, 鈥減ost-truth鈥� era.

Smith, editor of the area鈥檚 largest paper and host of WAMC鈥檚 51茶馆儿淭he Media Project鈥� program, was participating in a lively discussion with nearly 100 audience members, mostly students, at 51茶馆儿 on Oct. 29.

Smith noted that the digital age has provided access to more diverse information, but the changing media landscape had also reinforced divisions in society. He predicted that newspapers 51茶馆儿� in the form of 鈥渋nk on crushed trees鈥� 鈥� wouldn鈥檛 be around in 20 years, but said good journalism needed to survive. 

鈥淲e need to educate people to recognize great news,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think that great journalism will survive only if there鈥檚 an audience that can recognize it. This is why news literacy training is important because we need to teach people the value of great journalism and how to recognize it and differentiate it from junk news that鈥檚 out there.鈥�

Aaron Pedinotti, a visiting assistant professor of media and film studies at Skidmore, moderated the discussion with Smith. Their conversation, which inspired Smith鈥檚  for the Times Union, came in advance of 鈥�Skidmore Speaks: Conversations about the First Amendment and the Meaning of Free Speech,鈥� a series of event on campus, Nov. 5 to 8.

鈥淭he jury remains out as to whether the digital age can yield a more perfect union or whether in fact we鈥檙e simply going to simply divide further,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淭he difficulty is it is a fundamental of journalism that we just have to tell the truth.鈥�

Smith added that he was impressed with Skidmore students鈥� understanding of what journalism is about and 鈥渢heir vital role as citizens.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 a great believer in the value of liberal arts education because students tend to emerge with the broad understanding of their world that I think is essential to 21st century life,鈥� Smith said by email after the event. 鈥淓very interaction I鈥檝e had with Skidmore over the years has reinforced the notion that it鈥檚 a place where students develop a commitment to purposeful involvement with their broad community, which is what good journalism helps to support.鈥�