Supporters’ voices are essential to our monthly podcast, We Need to Talk About … whether our subject matter is Brexit, nationalism, or the environment. In our first podcast of the year, we’ll consider the future of journalism.
Since the Guardian’s editor-in-chief Katharine Viner published her essay on the mission of journalism in a time of crisis, she has had a huge number of responses – from readers, media commentators and others passionate about the future of independent, public-interest journalism. So we’ve invited her to the studio for our next podcast, and we’d love you, the Guardian’s supporters, to pose the questions for the discussion.
We’ll consider the impact technology is having on how we report and consume journalism; we’ll tackle the issue of media plurality and ownership, as well as press freedom; and we’ll explore how to improve journalism, especially at this critical political and social moment. As Viner writes, “The public sphere has changed more radically in the past two decades than in the previous two centuries – and news organisations, including this one, have worked hard to adjust.” How can the Guardian, with our readers, work to provide “clarity, in a world where facts should be sacred but are too often overlooked; imagination, in an age in which people yearn for new ideas and fresh alternatives to the way things are”.
Perhaps you think we need to talk about the prevalent role of social media in all this – both the advantages and dangers. Maybe you have experience with “citizen journalism” or other ways in which communities are collaborating with media organisations to better tell their stories. You might want to discuss the empowering effect of having access to news from around the world at the touch of a button. Or explore how your consumption of journalism has changed in recent years. Are you concerned about the rise of fake news, and how do you avoid it? How can media business models adapt to the digital age without sacrificing quality, depth or integrity?
Please do get in touch wherever you are in the world: we would like to hear your questions, views and experiences. To get involved, send an email to weneedtotalkabout@theguardian.com, including your question or comment, your name and a phone number so we can call you to make a recording. Alternatively, you can fill in the form below.
If you’d like to catch up with the podcast and previous discussions, you can do so at gu.com/talk-about.
