The Journal is real hard-nosed journalism and it makes very clear where opinion will appear… namely on its opinion pages. The Wall Street Journal and Fox News Channel have common ownership-but the information they present is very different. Indeed, there are vast differences from medium to medium. It underscores the fact that not all media are the same. Rather, one would have to say ‘the media are biased,’ for example. It’s the plural of medium, so it’s grammatically incorrect to say ‘the media is biased or ‘the media doesn’t like’ someone. RB: With all this in mind, Jay, what do you believemight be the biggest misconception about the media here nearly two decades into the 21 st century? In the industry, they call it ‘the big mashup’ in which people go to a newspaper’s Website to read, to view pictures and watch videos, listen to podcasts and even have some interaction with others. And I suspect we’ll still be running the press every day, but paper will be just one of many different ways in which people consume their news. But I think we’ll still be down on South 7th Street pumping out good news information. So, where technology double every couple of years, I have no illusions we’ll be doing the same exact thing 10 years from now. The very first thing they did after setting up the apparatus of government was to shield the press from the power of that government. The Framers built that concept into the Constitution with the First Amendment. Thomas Jefferson said in a variety of ways that a free press is critical to the proper functioning of this democracy. Despotic regimes in other countries attack a free press first because without an independent press, the despot’s ‘truth’ becomes the only truth. Without them-without a touchstone of what’s real and vetted-it’s very hard to discern fact from contrivance. JS: I hope newspapers will be around in 10 years. RB: So then, what is the future for local newspapers? Will they be around in 10 years? It’s a human enterprise, but the core purpose - indeed, our business strategy - is to present reliable information. This is the process, laborious and expensive as it is, that allows newspapers to present information that’s vetted-and something readers can hopefully organize their lives around. After that, there is yet a third editor who lays eyes on it. And after that editor is finished with it, the report goes to another editor for the same examination. That editor critically reviews the report and returns it to the reporter with comments like “we’re weak on this point find another source” or “these numbers aren’t clear to me double-check them with a third party.” The reporter goes back to work and presents the revised version to the editor. She or he writes a story based on that information and hands it to an editor. The editorial process breaks down like this: A reporter gathers information in the most penetrating-hopefully responsible-manner possible. JS: Have you ever encountered something in your Facebook feed that turned out to be inaccurate, Robin? Even deliberately misleading? What separates traditional newspapers from information sources like social media is the "editorial process." The singular focus of a community newspaper like the Sentinel is to offer information that’s vetted and reliable. Why are print publications-daily newspapers-still important? RB : I read a lot of newspapers, but I’m also on social media quite a bit and often find out breaking news stories online. It also employs 140 people in western Colorado. It’s known nationally for its public lands, water and energy reporting, and its owner is a small family company based in the Midwest. JS: The Daily Sentinel was founded in 1893 by Isaac Newton Bunting and became the largest circulation newspaper between Denver and Salt Lake-as it remains today. And the Daily Sentinel’s history seems to closely follow the history of Grand Junction itself. RB: As you know, I love western Colorado history and have a personal soft spot for the Sentinel’s Walter Walker, since he was responsible for building the Avalon Theatre in 1922-a local treasure which I, along with many others, helped to renovate and expand three years ago. We sat down to talk more about journalism, the future of the news industry, and what we love about western Colorado. When I developed the business plan and concept for this new magazine, the first person I went to see was Daily Sentinel publisher Jay Seaton, who was immediately supportive of the idea of a lifestyle magazine for western Colorado.
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