OK, I'm going to tackle this. I think there is important self-analysis being done by @CJR and others. Obviously. It has to happen. I'm not sure holding Trump to account is as important as other things though.

A thread, I guess. https://twitter.com/Jon_Allsop/status/1324341585195245568

Journalism - by that I mean, boots on the ground reporting as it stands in the US - is at a crossroads. It has been for some time now, but with this year forcing many furloughs and layoffs, it’s even more stark.

I edit an ag weekly and live and farm in a rural county in eastern Ohio. Just north of us is a county with a large metro area. Part of the infamous Rust Belt, but the part that still hasn’t gotten its footing. With the nearby GM plant in flux, it’s even shakier these days.

Anecdotally, I saw a lot of Biden signs, but Trump support saturated most places. Guess what? My county went solidly for Trump. The county to the north went red for the 1st time since the 1950s. Obama carried it handily, but Hillary barely won. I’m not surprised this time.

But here’s the crux of it: just the other day, a man who reads my paper called to complain abt a columnist who falls on the more progressive, liberal side, compared to most rural, ag folks who read the paper.

This man decided to visit, to look me in the eye, so to speak.

This man has long history w our paper. Lives further south, in Appalachian hills. Farmer. He wore a veterans for Trump hat, hand stitched NRA jacket. I include that to say, he is proud of where he stands.

Doesn’t read other news aside from our paper. Except for Tucker Carlson.

We had a nice chat. Ended by telling me abt a wedding he spoke @ this summer. Told them to be bold & “make a lot of noise.” He left me w that.

Don’t want to assume. I got the sense he came steaming in w the intention of giving me piece of his mind & left with another impression

Did nothing but listen to him, ask a few questions and share a bit abt my admittedly less lengthy history w the paper.

Nothing, & I mean, nothing, compares to person to person. Without it, journalists are just a nameless, faceless, “they,” mainstream media, pick your term.

Until there is more incentive to get boots on the ground, journos who understand context, to cover local issues, that vacuum will be filled by other things. Talking heads on cable news & the like.

Do I know what that incentive will be? No. Yet, here we are.