Aired May 7, 2025

In this episode, we explore the challenges facing journalism today with our guest, Michael Deas, a former editor at the Chicago Tribune and current professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Michael brings his wealth of experience to discuss critical issues such as media consolidation, the impact of hedge funds on newspapers, self-censorship, defamation lawsuits, and the growing distrust in news institutions. We explore how these factors contribute to the hesitancy of media outlets to cover politically sensitive topics, the decline in presidential endorsements, and the rise of alternative media platforms like Substack.

Our conversation with Michael Deas reveals the complexities of the modern media landscape. We discuss the concentration of media control, the financial pressures faced by news organizations, and the challenges of maintaining journalistic integrity in an era of deep distrust.

Join us as we navigate the intricacies of the media world and explore what it means for an informed public discourse.

Michael Deas is a seasoned journalist and educator with extensive experience in the field. He currently teaches graduate and undergraduate editing, as well as multimedia reporting, at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism. Deas also directs the Medill Media Teens Program. Prior to joining Medill in 2006, he served as an editor on the national-foreign and news-editing staffs at the Chicago Tribune. Throughout his career, Deas has been actively involved in the journalism community, serving on advisory boards and panels, working as a consultant, and teaching part-time at several universities. He was a fellow of both the Poynter and Maynard Institutes. Notably, Deas was among the contributors, including former President Jimmy Carter, who wrote tributes for “Grace Under Fire: Barbara Jordan’s Rhetoric of Watergate, Patriotism, and Equality.”

Links

Michael A. Deas (Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism)

CNN, ABC legal defeats highlight risks for media (The Philadelphia Tribune)