Rebuilding Trust in News

Journalists believe that more facts get us closer to the truth, and that the way to make society stronger is by spotlighting what's wrong. Many Americans disagree. New research shows us how to adjust our mix of stories, reframe our coverage, and write headlines to reach people who don't fully embrace journalism values. Join us Tuesday, May 25 from 1 to 2 p.m. ET for a National Press Club Headliners virtual event to learn new ways to build trust with the communities your journalism is failing to reach. 

Speakers include:

• Jennifer Benz, vice president, NORC at the University of Chicago
• Tom Huang, assistant managing editor for journalism initiatives, The Dallas Morning News
• Tom Rosenstiel, executive director, American Press Institute
• Emily Swanson, director of public opinion research, The Associated Press

Lisa Matthews, assignment manager of U.S. video for the Associated Press and the 114th president of the National Press Club, will moderate the panel.

Register here for this one-hour program, jointly produced by the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the National Press Club. The program will stream live on the websites of the Institute and Press Club, and on the Press Club’s YouTube Channel. It is accessible to the press and public at no cost, but registration is required.

Viewers can email their questions in advance or during the live program to [email protected], with “Trust” in the subject line.

About the speakers

Jennifer Benz is vice president at NORC at the University of Chicago and deputy director of The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Benz is a political scientist whose research focuses on public opinion and elections, survey methodology, and media attitudes. Benz earned a Ph.D. in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Tom Huang is assistant managing editor for journalism initiatives at The Dallas Morning News, where he is leading a fundraising campaign to support local news and community engagement. He has worked in Dallas as a reporter, features editor, Sunday and enterprise editor and assistant managing editor for features. He is also a board member of the National Press Club Journalism Institute.

Tom Rosenstiel is the executive director of the American Press Institute. Before joining API in January 2013, he was founder and director of the Project for Excellence in Journalism, one of the five original projects of the Pew Research Center in Washington, D.C. Rosenstiel is the author of 10 books, including three novels. Among his seven books on journalism, politics, and ethics is “The Elements of Journalism,” co-authored with Bill Kovach, which has been translated into more than 25 languages and is used widely in journalism education worldwide.

Emily Swanson is the director of public opinion research at The Associated Press. A member of AP’s polling unit in Washington since 2014, she oversees polls conducted by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, including AP’s role in questionnaire design, data analysis, and story development. As part of her role guiding journalists in their use of survey data, she helped develop updated polling standards published in a new chapter of the AP Stylebook in 2018, bringing those standards up to date for modern polling methods.

About the Moderator

Lisa Nicole Matthews is the assignment manager of U.S. video for the Associated Press and the 114th president of the National Press Club. Matthews has received two Edward R. Murrow Awards – one in 2002 for outstanding coverage of the events on September 11, 2001, and her second in 2010 for Video Continuing Coverage of the Economy. Born on Andrews Air Force Base and raised in the DMV, Matthews is a graduate of James Madison University where she received her bachelor’s degree in 1990.

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

About the National Press Club Journalism Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. The Institute is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club.