Waltham forum on ‘Journalism in Jeopardy’ set for Sept. 30

The Waltham Democratic City Committee will host a panel discussion on the state of journalism on Sept. 30.

The event, “Journalism in Jeopardy,” is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Clark Government Center, 119 School St. It is free and open to the public.

The discussion comes amid growing public concern about government pressure on media outlets, cuts to public news funding and debates about First Amendment rights. The panel will explore how misinformation, the decline of local news and corporate consolidation have shaped the current environment for journalism.

Tina Martin McDuffie, an associate professor of the practice of journalism at Boston University, will moderate the panel. McDuffie is an Edward R. Murrow Award-winning and Emmy-nominated television and radio reporter and host. The Boston-based McDuffie is host of “Local, USA,” a national half-hour news documentary program airing on WORLD Channel, which reaches about 33 million U.S. households and is produced at WGBH in Boston.

Panelists include Joan Donovan, Dan Kennedy and June Kinoshita, each bringing unique perspectives on the challenges facing the press. 

Donovan, a Boston University professor, is an authority on how data can be manipulated and misused in social media, news and communications. She co-authored the book “Meme Wars: The Untold Story of the Online Battles Upending Democracy in America.”

Kennedy, a professor at Northeastern University, is co-author of “What Works in Community News: Media Startups, News Deserts, and the Future of the Fourth Estate.” He is a nationally respected commentator on media issues and has written extensively on the future of journalism.

Kinoshita, a co-founder of The Waltham Times, will speak on the city’s own challenges after the loss of its local paper left it a news desert. She will discuss how the nonprofit Waltham Times is working to restore independent community journalism.

The WDCC said the panel is part of its ongoing public discussion series, intended to foster open and informed dialogue on issues shaping society. While organized by a partisan group, the committee emphasized that the program is nonpartisan in purpose. Organizers also noted that panelists’ views are their own and do not represent the WDCC.

“The understanding is that an informed electorate is a better electorate,” the committee said in its announcement.