Should journalists publicly support and try to uphold democracies in a time of rising authoritarianism? Or is the impact of truthful reporting on a system of governance outside of the purview of a journalist’s role? What do truth and objectivity mean in today’s media ecosystem? In this one-hour discussion, Shorenstein Center fellows Kathy Gannon and Brian Stelter debate the role of the media in a democracy.

Brian Stelter is the ’22 – ’23 Walter Shorenstein Media and Democracy fellow, and a nationally recognized media reporter and expert on the state of journalism. Until August 2022 he was the anchor of “Reliable Sources,” which examined the week’s top media stories every Sunday on CNN, and the chief media correspondent for CNN worldwide.

Kathy Gannon is a Fall ’22 Joan Shorenstein Fellow with 30+ years of experience as an international correspondent and bureau chief. She served as news director for Pakistan and Afghanistan for The Associated Press until May, 2022.