News meets community and democracy

Pew’s research looked at how communities benefit from local news. Discuss the questions from one or more of these bundles:

Flashlight: How do you feel your community benefits from your local newspaper? And how does it benefit from local journalists?

Spotlight: Create a media inventory, traditional as well as new media. Now create a list of local governments and other major institutions that the press as a Fourth Estate should keep an eye on. Are these local media sources adequately watching over government?

Searchlight: View the TED Talk: Ivan Krastev, "Can Democracy Exist Without Trust?" Is there a dark side to the Digital Age? Do you agree or disagree with Krastev’s view that transparency helps drive people away from voting? Why? Does more information and more freedom make people less trusting? Is that good or bad?