The rush of breaking news wasn’t what initially drew me to journalism. It was the conviction that something significant could occur in the space between accountability, voice, and truth. Its goal captivated me, and I viewed it as a force that has challenged power, supported communities, and recounted tales over the years.
That belief has only strengthened at UT. I’ve learned in every lesson how powerful a single word can be, how the narrator influences the narrative, and how much responsibility comes with deciding what and how to tell a tale. Journalism is more than just what is published; it’s also about whether readers trust the source and, more crucially, if they believe what they read.
However, clarity is insufficient. The foundation of journalism is trust, which is eroding both domestically and globally. We lose more than just news when trust is lost; we also lose accountability and clarity.
According to David Ryfe, director and professor at the School of Journalism and Media, public confidence in journalism has been declining since the 1970s.
This change is not new; rather, it reflects decades of political messaging that date back to the New Deal era, when conservative critics claimed that the mainstream media was too closely aligned with liberal reforms and federal power, sowing the seeds of mistrust that eventually developed into a long-term partisan strategy.
According to Ryfe, one political party’s interest in (reducing) the media’s reputation among its supporters is what fuels public skepticism in journalists. For the past 60 years, the Republican Party has focused on attacking the media. The Republican Party has been working on this for a long time.
Beyond party lines, that deliberate betrayal of trust has repercussions. The majority of students on campus and beyond get their news from TikTok and Instagram posts rather than traditional media. These media cross the line between facts, entertainment, and opinion. Compared to the connection made on social media sites, journalism that is fact-checked and edited in a newsroom seems aloof and biased.
According to Ryfe, social media businesses don’t do anything to set journalism apart from other types of news providers. People’s social media feeds are filled with a lot of inaccurate information. It is difficult to tell what is untrue, misleading, and what is not if it is not from reliable media sources.
Social media stars without journalistic experience were given press credentials by the White House in January. On the surface, it seems like progress: more accessibility, new developments, and a changing media environment. But when influence, not investigation, is used to gauge trustworthiness, what are we giving up? Is performing on camera more essential than keeping those in positions of authority accountable?
In the past, journalism acted as a gatekeeper, influencing the tales that were made public. In the fractured digital world of today, that position is dwindling. Journalism needs to redefine both its function in public life and itself.
People must first learn how to navigate information if journalism is to rebuild trust. Media literacy must be taught to all UT students, not just those who want to take it as an elective. It cannot be optional to understand how to assess claims, verify sources, look at facts, and spot altered or artificial intelligence-generated stuff. Without these resources, consumers are forced to navigate a deluge of information on their own.
Campuses are not the only stakes. The U.S. House passed a plan in July that cuts funding for public media by $1.1 billion. populations, particularly rural, multilingual, and underserved populations, will be left without a reliable source of local news if local stations are shut down and public broadcasting is completely destroyed nationwide. Not only is journalism losing credibility, but its infrastructure is as well.
While some may contend that not everyone is concerned about media’s demise, the truth is that every community that depends on journalism suffers when it loses credibility. It’s not simply a profession that’s being undermined. It aims to educate the public, hold those in positions of authority accountable, and provide voice to those who might not otherwise be heard.
I’ve discovered that journalism’s greatest strength is not just in revealing facts but also in upholding public confidence after witnessing its undermining. Writing, reading, institutions, and communities all work together to create journalism. We lose more than simply press when that collaboration ends. We become lost.
I still think journalism is important. Although it’s not perfect, it’s one of the few organizations that still pushes for responsibility and encourages people to think critically. It confirms that we are still able to align with truth and reality. Journalism cannot afford to be disregarded because of this. Not right now, when polarization flourishes in the face of uncertainty, disinformation travels more quickly than the truth, and public confidence in all institutions is shaky.
Journalism is more important than ever because it helps us make sense of the world, not just report on it.
Vazquez is from Monterrey, Mexico, and is a sophomore studying journalism.
