One beat in American journalism that just seems to keep on giving is covering the media itself.
That's what NPR’s David Folkenflik has been doing for more than 20 years. These days, that means stories on President Donald Trump’s ongoing criticism of the media, the travails at CBS News and how U.S. news outlets have covered ongoing ICE raids.
Meanwhile, Folkenflik is tasked with covering the challenges facing NPR itself, in the wake of government funding cuts.
Ahead of his upcoming visit with KCUR members and staff in Kansas City, Folkenflik told KCUR's Up To Date he believes the media is facing extraordinary pressure from the government it covers — "intentionally brought to try to distract, to dissuade, to intimidate it from doing the job of shining a light, holding power to account and to do its job," Folkenflik said.
"There are a lot of reporters who have worked very hard, a lot of news outlets who have engaged in good faith, in trying to do just that at the same time," he said. "This isn't happening in a vacuum. It's happening at a time where trust in media, as in all major institutions, has plummeted."
- David Folkenflik, NPR media correspondent
