From the editor: Repairing the relationship between the people and the press

On a chilly spring night in Cincinnati, a near-sellout crowd gathered at Memorial Hall to hear a speaker weigh in on one of my favorite topics – the importance of journalism.

On the stage was Jenn White, host of National Public Radio’s news-oriented talk show 1A, aired locally on WVXU-FM. The Women’s City Club of Greater Cincinnati hosted White for its annual national speaker’s forum. Considering the topic, The Enquirer was all too happy – and honored – to be one of the media sponsors.

For those unfamiliar with White, she took over the 1A microphone in 2020, moving to Washington from Chicago, where she was a host and podcaster at WBEZ. She grew up in Detroit and says she got hooked on radio, NPR specifically, when her sister introduced her to Car Talk.

White centered her speech on the need for journalists to restore the relationship between citizens and the press, especially during a time when polls show that trust in America’s institutions – be it government, the courts, media and even each other – is at historic lows following the global pandemic and the events of January 6, 2021.

To rebuild the relationship, White said news organizations must focus on three pillars: truth, trust and transparency. And while I can’t recap the entire speech here, I want to share two moments that stuck with me because they underscore The Enquirer’s commitment to its readers and brought immediate applause from the audience at Memorial Hall.

First, journalists don’t always get it right. Mistakes must be acknowledged and addressed transparently. “When the error is loud, the correction can’t be quiet,” White said.

White emphasized the need to be relentless about seeking the truth, making a case against so-called “he said, she said” journalism that gives too much weight to sources who are light on facts and heavy on conspiracy theories or promoting their own agendas.

“If someone says it’s raining, it’s not your job to run around the house trying to find someone who says it’s not,” White said, referencing a classic newsroom adage. “It’s your job to open the door and see if it’s raining.” (Newsrooms are rich with these types of sayings. One of my favorites is, “If your mother says she loves you, you still need to check it out.”)

During the question-and-answer session, White was asked how thoughtful, public-service journalism can survive the digital era, when newsrooms have fewer reporters and news consumers are flooded with clickbait and subject to the limiting nature of social media algorithms. Her succinct answer: We need to pay for it. (That brought a small but mighty round of applause from the journalists in the room, particularly the corner of the auditorium where six of us from The Enquirer were seated.)

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I’ve written frequently in this column about the importance of supporting local journalism. The rapid shift to digital advertising disrupted the traditional business model, and local news organizations like The Enquirer rely more than ever on subscribers to bring you reporting that seeks justice, rights wrongs and holds those in power accountable to the people who elect them.

When I have the opportunity to speak to groups around town, I point out that a monthly, digital-only subscription to The Enquirer costs roughly the same as a fancy cup of coffee. For a little more, we’ll toss in home delivery of our Sunday print edition. And what do you get for that investment? Just in the past week, the Enquirer published:

• An exclusive, year-long investigation into how the use of informants by police and prosecutors has derailed murder cases and put criminals back on the street.

• A report on how federal funding designed to create affordable housing options across the city is instead being steered into neighborhoods already burdened by concentrated poverty.

• And on a lighter note, exclusive dispatches from Goodyear, Ariz., where the Reds held Spring Training. No local news outlet invests more in covering America’s first professional baseball team than The Enquirer.

That’s just a sampling, of course. Each and every day, we strive to earn your support by keeping you informed and connected to this place we call home.

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A little about the Women’s City Club. It was founded in 1915 to rally support for women’s voting rights. Today, it continues its mission “to educate, empower and engage the citizens of Greater Cincinnati” for the common good. The club now has men among its members, including its current president. For more information, go online to womanscityclub.org.

Enquirer Executive Editor Beryl Love writes a biweekly column that takes you behind the scenes at The Enquirer. Occasionally, he shares his thoughts on local issues, particularly as they pertain to a free press and open government. Love also serves as regional editor for the USA TODAY Network Ohio. Email him at blove@enquirer.com. He can’t respond personally to every email, but he reads them all.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: NRP 1A host Jenn White speaks at Women's City Club forum in Cincinnati