Here's what journalists need to do next

What and how we write and talk

I have wanted to return to the University of Missouri-Columbia for a long time. My time earning my Master’s degree in the revered journalism school was one of my proudest, most meaningful, and life-changing times of my career. I got my chance on Friday.

(Back again. It’s been a long time since I sat on the news set at KOMU-TV in Columbia, Missouri. Next to me is future network star Emma Eckhart.)

M-I-Z! Z-O-U!

My son, Hayden, and I drove down to Columbia with our neighbors (one of their daughters wants to be an NFL sideline reporter one day and is considering Mizzou to go to college).

Much has changed since the last time I visited. Numerous renovations and technological upgrades at the station and many new buildings and remodels on campus. So great to see it all. Also: three friends who were students when I went to school now teach on campus and at the TV station. How time flies!

I met with students, critiqued some stories, and offered suggestions. It was inspiring and makes me excited about their future. I look forward to returning to Mizzou soon.

Then and Now

The trip made me think a lot of what has changed since I was a student. Fewer young people want to get into television journalism. They have many other opportunities these days. YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok offer the potential of fast fame and fortune, much more than a first job out of college working in a small television market far from home and selling your own plasma to pay the rent.

Far more people consider young journalists the “enemy” these days, too. Partisan and misleading media sources have warped public opinion and turned segments of the public against legacy media.

That only increases the pressure for those of us who still believe in the value of true journalism. Journalism is not dead. But we have to fight like hell to keep it out of the ground.

Here are some ideas:

Acknowledge our biases

Are the media biased? Yes, they are. EVERYONE is biased. What matters is what we do about that.

—Pay attention to the stories that we cover and the way that we present them. Are they fair, thorough, and accurate?

—Do the stories represent all views, not just one side or the other?

—Don’t sensationalize. We don’t need to add hype.

—Beware of adjectives. I think adjectives in our promotions get us in trouble sometimes. “The controversial decision tonight at 10!” What is controversial to you may not be controversial to your neighbor. Let’s leave it to the viewers to decide what is controversial.

—Don’t stop after he said, she said. Keep the reporting going beyond the partisan reactions to them. Seek the full truth and not just the partisan back-and-forth bickering.

What do decisions mean for our communities and the people who live there? What problems aren’t being addressed? What potential solutions are out there?

This is just a start. More to come on this later…

Inside Iowa Politics

Longtime Siouxland Chamber of Commerce President Chris McGowan is now running for the 4th Congressional District, the seat held by U.S. Representative Randy Feenstra.

Feenstra is putting together his campaign for governor in 2026 because Governor Kim Reynolds is no longer running for re-election.

This is what McGowan told me about his unexpected decision to run on this week’s “Inside Iowa Politics.”

Balancing and Adapting

Jackson and Amanda Drost dealt with technological glitches, an annoying gnat, and raindrops…oh, and they were supposed to go out for a long-awaited date night dinner.

But they overcame it all. I planned to interview this Iowa farm family about finding balance. But technology was not our friend that night. Their ability to adapt was.

This is what they did to overcome distractions.

Thank you for supporting this column. I hope that you will check out some of the others in the Iowa Writers Collaborative, a group of nearly 70 columnists writing about a variety of issues.

Water and Computer Keyboards Don’t Mix

Also, thank you to those of you who messaged me about last week’s column where I mentioned the unfortunate mishap when I spilled a LOT of water on my laptop. The update: my laptop is R.I.P.

Ugh!

Thank You

I appreciate those of you who recently decided to financially support our work here. We really appreciate it. Starting next month, I will select one paid subscriber. We will have a private, 1 on 1 Zoom conversation as my thank you.

I will share what I’m working on, my thoughts on what is happening in our country, and let you ask me whatever questions you want.

Here is how you can become a financial supporter of this column to help us pay the bills: