CHERRY HILL, NJ (SBN) — The free press in the United States is facing a super storm of challenges, from declining readership of print news publications to the loss of advertising revenue to online platforms, and the blistering attacks on its credibility from politicians ranging from local leaders all the way up to President Trump, with his baseless accusations of false reporting and his attacks on freedom of the press.
To comment on the state of the free news media in the US, this week’s guest on SBN Newsmakers is Joe Weber, who is the Jerry and Karla Huse Professor emeritus of News-Editorial at the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Joe has also been a visiting professor at Shanghai University of Finance and Economics, and previously spent more than two decades as a writer and editor at BusinessWeek, concluding his tenure there as Chief of Correspondents.
He is currently a top commentator on Substack, the exciting new platform for independent journalism, where he writes The Big Picture. You can subscribe at https://josephweber.substack.com/.
In this conversation, Joe Weber discusses the evolution of journalism, highlighting the significant changes from traditional print media to the current landscape dominated by digital platforms and independent voices. He emphasizes the decline of local news and its implications for democracy, the challenges posed by corporate media ownership, and the rise of Substack as a platform for independent journalism. Weber also addresses the impact of political bias on news consumption and the disconnect between voters and reality, ultimately expressing cautious optimism for the future of democracy.
You can watch our conversation in the player below. SBN Newsmakers shows are also available on the Roku streaming service. You can subscribe to our Roku channel at https://bit.ly/SBNroku.
This program is being cross-posted as an audio podcast on the Lubetkin on Communications Podcast feed. You can listen to the audio podcast here.
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Steve Lubetkin is the news director for StateBroadcastNews.com. Steve’s journalism background includes print and broadcast reporting for NJ news organizations. He refocused on multimedia journalism and podcast production after a long career in corporate branded journalism and public relations.
He has won numerous awards for his audio and video news reporting from the Garden State Journalists Association, and he has also been recognized for video by the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. He has produced a wide range of audio and video podcasts in his other role as managing partner of State Broadcast News’s parent, The Lubetkin Media Companies.
Steve is co-author, with Toronto-based podcasting pioneer Donna Papacosta, of the book, The Business of Podcasting: How to Take Your Podcasting Passion from the Personal to the Professional.
In March 2021, he was elected to the board of directors of the New Jersey Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists, and in July 2021 he was named secretary of the chapter. In August 2021, he was honored by SPJ with one of the organization’s 2021 Howard S. Dubin Outstanding Pro Member Awards, given to regular members of an SPJ chapter who go above and beyond in serving their chapter.
Steve has been the computer columnist for the Jewish Community Voice of Southern New Jersey, since 1996.
Steve also has reported on-camera and produces virtual conferences for NJSpotlightNews.org, a public policy news coverage website focused on New Jersey government and industry; and for clients of StateBroadcastNews.com, a division of The Lubetkin Media Companies LLC.
From May-November 2019, he produced and reported a weekly podcast, The CRE News Hour, a news and features program focusing on the commercial real estate industry.
From 2014 to 2019 he was New Jersey and Philadelphia editor for GlobeSt.com and filled in covering Chicago/Midwest and Atlanta.
Steve has also served (from August 2017 to March 2018) as national broadcast news correspondent for CEOReport.com, a news website focused on practical advice for senior executives in small- and medium-sized companies.
Earlier in his career, Steve reported on rock music at the Jersey Shore for the Asbury Park Press, and was a broadcast news anchor and production engineer for WJLK-AM & FM, then owned by the Press. He also worked as a general assignment reporter for the Red Bank Register, Shrewsbury, NJ.
You can email Steve at steve@statebroadcastnews.com.
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