A news outlet is a newspaper, television or radio station that broadcasts and publishes news. They often rely on news agencies for their content, but they also have reporters and editors who gather and produce their own news stories. News outlets are also called media, and they are a key part of our culture, providing citizens with information and opinions they cannot get anywhere else.
Today, most Americans get their news by visiting a website or app or using a search engine. But the most popular way is to watch network or local TV news. Some people even listen to news podcasts or read blogs for their news. And most of these outlets are owned by big business, which means that the owners have a great deal of power over what kind of news and opinions are published.
While the majority of news outlets moved away from analysis and un-attributed punditry (opinion, speculation and judgment by reporters that isn’t based on any reporting) in January, newspapers bucked that trend and actually saw a slight increase in their level of analysis and pundtry in the days studied in March. This may have been because the Clinton deposition invited some level of analysis and interpretation, or it could be that the public’s need for understanding in this time of heightened political acrimony has increased the demand for more thorough reporting and analysis.
This is why it’s so important that we continue to support our local and community news outlets. Their work is critical to our democracy, and their credibility depends on a diverse range of voices. Otherwise, we risk a one-sided world view that is susceptible to propaganda and authoritarianism.