March Meetup – Journalism as a Public Good (3/1 @ 2 PM)

The next monthly discussion meetup is next Saturday, March 1 @ 2 PM (see below for location etc.). We’ll be discussing whether journalism should be considered a public good as well as the degree to which journalism benefits from public financing.

See below for a few short readings and other media to provide some background and get you thinking, though these are optional as always (i.e. no homework necessary).

Please feel free to come even if you’re worried it will be awkward, you won’t fit in, or you aren’t the “typical person who comes to a Rationality meetup.” We are welcoming (albeit occasionally argumentative)! 

READINGS/MEDIA

• More for/positive
  • Journalism Is a Public Good and Should Be Publicly Funded (Patrick Walters; Scientific American)
    • https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/journalism-is-a-public-good-and-should-be-publicly-funded/
  • Public Funding of Journalism Is the Only Way: There is no other magic solution. I promise. (Hamilton Nolan)
    • https://www.hamiltonnolan.com/p/public-funding-of-journalism-is-the
  • In the Digital Era, Journalism Should Be Considered a Public Good (Victor Pickard; Centre for International Governance Innovation)
    • https://www.cigionline.org/articles/in-the-digital-era-journalism-should-be-considered-a-public-good/
• More against/cautious
  • Journalism Is Not a Public Good (Dominic Pino; National Review)
    • https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/journalism-is-not-a-public-good/
  • “Government Funding for Journalism: Necessary Evil or Just Evil?” (Mathew Ingra; Columbia Journalism Review)
    • https://www.cjr.org/the_media_today/government-funding-journalism.php
  • “Public Funding in Local Journalism Is No Silver Bullet. But Some Industry Leaders Argue It’s Necessary” (Sophia Vento; Center for Journalism Ethics)
    • https://ethics.journalism.wisc.edu/2024/03/06/public-funding-in-local-journalism-is-no-silver-bullet-but-some-industry-leaders-argue-its-necessary/
• Other media
  • “The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) and the Politics of Public Media” (Civics 101 Podcast)
    • https://www.civics101podcast.org/civics–101-episodes/cpb
  • Provocations: Peter Greste on Public Good Journalism and Press Freedom
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybSiq0hM5Vk

DATE & LOCATION

Date: Saturday, 3/1 @ 2pm–4:30pm (roughly)
Location: South Loop Strength & Conditioning – upstairs in the mezzanine
645 S Clark
Chicago IL 60605
Note: Todd owns this gym so that’s why there’s a Rationality meetup at a gym 🙂
If you have trouble finding us, please DM Shane on the Discord, post in “meetups”, or text 608–436–1809.

RESOURCES

Email list and discussion topics archive » https://chicagorationality.com
Discord » https://discord.gg/eDHq3TXrH3
Events Calendar »
General: https://calendar.google.com/calendar/embed?src=info%40chicagorationality.com&ctz=America%2FChicago
iCal (e.g for iOS): https://calendar.google.com/calendar/ical/info%40chicagorationality.com/public/basic.ics