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Hope and Fears: Why Journalism Remains Essential in a Time of Global Democratic Erosion
April 8 @ 6:00 pm – 7:30 pm
PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY AND UI SCHOOL OF JOURNALISM AND MASS COMMUNICATION
Journalism remains essential to holding power accountable and repelling autocratic trends. At a time of global democratic erosion, journalism confronts multiple challenges — economic precarity, political pressures, lack of trust, precarious work conditions, and a dwindling ability to command public attention amid (dis)information abundance. But democracies do not have an alternative institution to do what journalism does on any given day, despite its shortcomings and limitations. The fact that autocrats fear and persecute journalism is a telling sign that journalism is still relevant to scrutinize power, bring public awareness to important matters, and spark actions by other democratic institutions. In this talk, Prof. Waisbord will interrogate the global role of journalism as authoritarianism and populism gain ground and civil society faces escalating crises.
Silvio Waisbord is a Professor at the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. He is President and Fellow of the International Communication Association. He is Editor of the International Journal of Communication. He is the author and editor of twenty books, as well as articles on journalism and politics, communication studies, media policy, and communication for social change. His most recent book is Introduction to Journalism: Thinking Globally (Polity). He served as Director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University (2020-2023). Also, he is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Communication and the International Journal of Press/Politics. Waisbord received a Licenciatura in Sociology from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego.
Hope and Fears: Why Journalism Remains Essential in a Time of Global Democratic Erosion
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
IOWA CITY PUBLIC LIBRARY
ALSO STREAMING ONLINE
Hosted by ICFRC Board Member Ted Powers
