It is no secret that American media is in turmoil, with many longstanding fixtures in print journalism either folding or forced to layoff staff. Each week through the end of 2009, a different media insider will offer their perspective on what media will look like in 5, 10, or 15 years–and what will become of investigative journalism. The series includes commentary from John Nichols, Dan Rather, Jane Mayer, Victor Navasky, Ana Marie Cox, David Schimke and Nick Penniman.

This week, Nation contributor John Nichols speaks as part of a panel discussion at the 2009 Nation/Campus Progress Student Journalism Conference about the disconnect between old media models and a nonfunctional new media model for producing journalism. Nichols evokes history in noting that when our country was founded media was heavily subsidized by the government and proposes this as a model to strive for. Nichols is the co-author of The Death and Life of American Journalism: The Media Revolution that Will Begin the World Again, along with Robert W. McChesney, published by Nation/Perseus/Basic Books this fall.

To share your opinion on what the future of the media might be, write a letter to the editor marked “Future of Journalism.” We’ll gather the best responses and publish them at the beginning of 2010.

—Alana Levinson

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