The Next Journalism: How the Press Must Change to Serve Democracy
Tom Rosenstiel presents *The Next Journalism: How the Press Must Change to Serve Democracy*, a call to reinvent journalism as a more useful, trustworthy, and collaborative public service. Rosenstiel argues that declining confidence in news, expanding news deserts, and increasingly partisan and fragmented coverage reflect not only financial and technological problems but also deeper intellectual failures within journalism.
The book proposes ten reforms, including treating news as a service rather than a product, increasing transparency, and using artificial intelligence responsibly. Drawing on case studies, historical context, and practical recommendations, Rosenstiel offers journalists, policymakers, and the public a framework for rebuilding a press that strengthens democratic participation. He will discuss the book with Asma Khalid and John Harwood.
When: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Showtimes: 7:00 p.m.
Venue: Politics and Prose, 5015 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008
Format: Author presentation and conversation with Asma Khalid and John Harwood. A livestream option is also listed.
Tickets: Free
Seating: First come, first served.
Author: Tom Rosenstiel is a journalist, media critic, researcher, novelist, and professor. He co-wrote *The Elements of Journalism* and has written seven nonfiction books and four novels. His previous roles include press critic at the *Los Angeles Times*, chief congressional correspondent for *Newsweek*, press critic for MSNBC, director of media studies at the Pew Research Center, and leader of the American Press Institute. He is currently the Eleanor Merrill Professor on the Future of Journalism at the University of Maryland and lives in Washington, D.C.
Conversation participants: Asma Khalid co-hosts the BBC daily news podcast *The Global Story*, which is produced across Washington and London and also airs internationally through the BBC World Service. She began her journalism career in Indiana and developed an interest in radio during an internship with the BBC *Newshour*. She regularly appears on programs including ABC’s *This Week*, CNN’s *Inside Politics*, and PBS’s *Washington Week*. Khalid studied at Indiana University and the University of Cambridge.
Conversation participants: John Harwood has spent four decades reporting on the White House, Congress, national politics, and the economy. He has interviewed every president from George H. W. Bush through Joe Biden, was part of the *Wall Street Journal* team that won a Pulitzer Prize for its September 11 coverage, and received an Emmy nomination for a live CNBC town hall with President Barack Obama. A Louisville native who grew up in the Washington suburbs, Harwood studied history and economics at Duke University, was a Nieman Fellow at Harvard, and chairs the Nieman Foundation Advisory Board.
Accessibility: To request accommodations or ask about accessibility, email events@politics-prose.com, ideally at least one week before the event. The venue will make an effort to accommodate requests made up to the event time.
Run time: Not specified.