THE ROLE OF JOURNALISTS is to help the public understand an issue so it can be addressed—or highlight wrongdoing so someone can be held accountable. But what happens when even the reporters don’t understand the issue?
That’s where The Journalist’s Resource, housed at the Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy, comes in. It bridges the gap between academia and journalism, empowering journalists to rely on academic research through every step of the reporting and editing process. About 2 million people visit the website each year and more than 50,000 journalists, policymakers, educators, and others subscribe to the project’s weekly email.
“At a time when democracy itself faces significant challenges, understanding how this government was designed to function—and why—is essential for both journalists and citizens.”
This year The Journalist’s Resource and the Shorenstein Center launched a new series called Unlocked, which explains the inner workings of government through a podcast, videos, and written briefs. Topics include hiring and firing in the federal government, tariffs, Medicaid funding, vaccine recommendations, and more.
“At a time when democracy itself faces significant challenges, understanding how this government was designed to function—and why—is essential for both journalists and citizens,” says Nancy Gibbs, Lombard Director of the Shorenstein Center and former editor-in-chief of TIME. “With Unlocked, we’re lifting the hood on the machinery of governance—we’re examining the more intricate and at times more mundane parts of government that most of us never think about but rely on every day. When reporters can better explain how these systems are supposed to work, it is easier for the public to understand how shake-ups to these systems may affect them in their daily lives.”
—
Banner image: James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House. Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images; portrait by Martha Stewart