From articles calling for a revolution to detailed accounts of government subterfuge, journalism has played a drastic role in shaping the values and history of America. According to an article from the New York Times written by AG Sulzberger, journalism provides Americans with a necessary and vital piece of democracy through free press. 

This reliability has unfortunately, according to a study by the Knight Foundation, decreased. 71% of responses stated that transparency in news was important to them, and a study from Reuters Institute and the University of Oxford states that trust in news organizations is partially defined by partisanship and the extent of the bias in the organization. While trust in journalism has decreased, according to the Knight Foundation, 69% of respondents say it can be gained back. 

Dr. Anita Varma, an assistant professor in the School of Journalism and Media at the University of Texas at Austin, agreed that trusting journalists is important. She believes that reestablishing a journalist’s duty to engage in solidarity journalism, or translating social justice into action to serve the people, not a specific political stance, is key amidst political conflict.

“It’s not about taking sides with the Republicans or with the Democrats,” Varma said. “It’s about taking sides with the public, starting with its most vulnerable members. The press is here to stand with the people.”

In addition to being the voice of the people, journalism can be a form of advocacy and raise awareness according to Gaylon Finklea Hecker, former reporter for the San Antonio Light and San Antonio Express-News and author. She used her platform in journalism to draw attention to the issues surrounding women’s rights and equality. 

“Our department took whatever was happening across the country, and it made it important to women,” Finklea Hecker said. “[We covered] the first District Attorney in Bexar County,  the first woman pilot for Braniff Airlines, the first woman who ran on a national ticket for Vice President. We localized those stories into what was happening in San Antonio and Bexar County. It was a really fine time to be writing about women, [as] we were also trying to pass the Equal Rights Amendment.” 

Finklea Hecker stressed the importance of shedding light on untold stories. In her book,  “Growing Up in the Lone Star State: Notable Texans Remember Their Childhoods”, Finklea Hecker and her co-author allow Texas stars like former Major League Baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan and other legends to reflect on their childhood in Texas, an aspect of life often overlooked by the press.

“This psychology of growing up [occurs] regardless of if we were rich or poor, in a big city, small city,” Finklea Hecker said. “You have a childhood, and you start out as a blank slate.”

Journalism, in addition to storytelling, can take on many different forms. For Matthew Watkins, the editor-in-chief of the Texas Tribune, reporting and journalism are means of researching issues and working to improve them. 

“Sunlight is the best disinfectant,” Watkins said. “The more we shine a light on something, the more things might improve. If people don’t know about the problems, if they don’t know about the challenges, they won’t be able to take action on them.” 

In the school setting, especially amid the turmoil surrounding freedom of the press, journalism in schools has also become a more debated topic. According to the Austin Independent School District (AISD), the district has a budget deficit of $110 million. To account for this shortage, officials are looking to cut funding from different proposed school programs, some of which might include student publications such as the newspaper. While AISD has not confirmed this, Varma shared her first-hand accounts of the impact of journalism and reporting on student journalists, specifically through the university’s student-run newspaper, The Daily Texan. She expressed why students need journalism. 

“For the students that I know who are involved in The Daily Texan, [journalism] really shapes what they’re doing in their day-to-day,” Varma said, “and how they are coming to understand the contexts in which they study, work, and live.”