The biggest concern facing the general public when it tries to determine what news source to trust?
“The wide variety of people who produce news, and only some of them are journalists,” David Ryfe, professor and chairman of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, said.
Another concern, Ryfe said, is the growth of branded content, a kind of advertising but embedded in a news story. This is different from the kinds of advertising that have existed a long time, Ryfe said. “The difference is the advertisers want to leverage this symbolic capital of journalism in the advertising. So we have actual reporters producing ads that have the look and feel of a news story.”
Ryfe spoke during an interview with IowaWatch Connection host and producer Jeff Stein that included IowaWatch cofounder Stephen Berry and IowaWatch executive producer-editor Lyle Muller. You can hear their conversation in this podcast.
The IowaWatch Connection airs on 20 radio stations 27 times every weekend. To find a station near you go to this link.
