So much at stake
In a world where misinformation is only growing more pervasive, there is so much at stake as the traditional news industry grapples with economic woes.
Issue #62
Hi all —
I had grand plans to make this debut newsletter for 2024 about some exciting things I witnessed at South Asian American events all throughout last year. But I’ll save that for a future issue.
Mass layoffs in American journalism are continuing, which means fewer and fewer journalists at major organizations telling pivotal stories — including about Asian American communities. On Wednesday, The New York Times detailed the news industry’s woes across the United States:
Prominent newspapers like The Washington Post are shedding reporters and editors, and on Tuesday, The Los Angeles Times laid off more than 20 percent of its newsroom. Cable news ratings have fallen amid an uncompetitive presidential primary contest. Esteemed titles like Sports Illustrated, already a shadow of their former selves, have been gutted overnight.
As Americans prepare for an election year that will feature disinformation wars, A.I.-generated agitprop and a debate over the future of democracy, the mainstream news industry — once the de facto watchdog and facilitator of public discourse — is struggling to stay afloat.
Among the LA Times’ latest layoffs this week was reporter Jeong Park, who was previously interviewed in RWB’s audio series for his important work covering Asian American communities in Southern California. That specific cut comes even as Asian Americans — the fastest growing racial or ethic demographic in the United States — continue to rapidly grow as both voters and consumers.
There is so much at stake with the breakdown of solid journalistic institutions and professional journalists who have the skills and experience to obtain public records, hold institutions accountable and ask hard questions to those in power — *and* share that information back with people on reputable, far-reaching platforms.
In a world where misinformation is only growing more pervasive, there is so much at stake.
“If you care about journalism — local news, national news, international news — every warning light should be blinking red.” —Mary Louise Kelly, co-host of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” on X
Even though the traditional news industry’s economic climate is dire, I’m a forever optimist that storytelling and the business models around it will continue to evolve.
More to share on 2023’s adventures across the U.S. and some of the South Asian Americans I met…
In the meantime, I’ll be renewing my local news subscriptions.
Thanks for joining the conversation,
Vignesh Ramachandran
Co-founder of Red, White and Brown Media
(Follow Vignesh on X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram and Threads via @VigneshR.)
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