A Gallup poll released this morning showed that Americans’ confidence in newspapers has sunk to an all-time low. With the direction so-called “journalism” has gone over the last decade, it’s not surprising. The poll found, among 16 societal institutions Gallup normally tracks, newspapers ranked near the bottom in public confidence–higher only than big business, big labor, HMOs, and Congress.

Throughout history, newspapers have been a staple of American life and a key engine through which we stay connected to the world around us. Now, with fewer than one in four Americans professing confidence in print journalism, it’s time for the newspaper industry to do some soul-searching.

The precipitous decline of confidence in newspapers over the last 40 years correlates with the rise of “infotainment” and the decline in traditional gumshoe journalism. The rise of cable news, the Internet, and most recently, social media, have given Americans more options in how to consume news.. To stay afloat, newspapers have often been forced to shift toward infotainment and away from their core mission of simply reporting the news–rapidly cutting investigative departments and coverage of local government.

Newspapers can’t win back public confidence overnight, but they can take this poll as a wake-up call and recommit to hard-hitting, fact-based journalism. With growing skepticism of government and public institutions, there’s a demand for investigative reporting and, right now, many news papers are failing to capitalize on it.

Watchdog.org journalists are on the Washington Post’s radar of the best and brightest state-based reporters in America. Yesterday, Washington Post blog The Fix announced its list of go-to state-level political reporters - the ones that EVERY local politico reads. Submissions were made by readers
via the blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

We’re proud to announce that Joe Jordan of Nebraska Watchdog, Pat McGuigan of Capitol Beak OK, and our good friend Rob Port of the Say Anything Blog in North Dakota all made the cut!

CLICK HERE to see the full list of best reporters by state compiled by Chris Cillizza and the gang at The Fix, and be sure to follow all of these great writers on Twitter.

This is just the latest evidence that the team at Watchdog is making a difference. Making a list populated by reporters from massive outlets like the Associated Press, LA Times, and Chicago Tribune speaks volumes about these reporters. They’ve become part of the broader conversation in their states. They’re standing up for freedom and faithfully shining the spotlight on government waste, fraud, and abuse – as the press ought to do.

We’re excited to support Joe, Pat, and Rob in the task of bringing neglected stories to light, educating the citizenry, and restoring  government openness and accountability.

The meaning of Memorial Day often gets lost in beach vacations and cookouts as we get distracted by our hectic lifestyles. Before rushing out on this weekend, take some time to reflect on the brave men and women who have answered the call to fight, serve and protect our country’s freedom and liberties. We often overlook and take for granted the enormous sacrifices they make on a daily basis so we can enjoy the luxury of living without fear.

Each person that we honor and remember on this holiday has recited a solemn oath of allegiance to this nation and its principals. History has been shaped by the millions of veterans who put their lives on the line. It is our responsibility to remember those who have and continue to selflessly give their time and talents to protect our liberties.

And let us not forget the family members who stand by the sides of these courageous men and women year after year. We should all take time to appreciate our own families, as some have been forced to go months being separated from theirs.

Alexandria–Jason Stverak, President of the Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity, made the following statement in response to new information released showing that Attorney General Eric Holder signed off on the search warrant that led to the seizure of Fox News reporter James Rosen’s private emails:

“I was disheartened to learn that Attorney General Eric Holder and the Department of Justice had once again overstepped their bounds and infringed on our right to a free press. By conducting an unwarranted search and seizure of emails of an investigative reporter at Fox News and tapping the phone lines of Associated Press journalists,  the DOJ proved that they are more interested in flexing their political muscles than fostering a free and robust press to keep the administration accountable. We stand with James Rosen at Fox News and the journalists at the Associated Press as they seek to report the truth, even against the headwinds of a hostile DOJ.”

Reporter Mark Lagerkvist Honored for Story on Double-Dipping Public Officials

Alexandria, Va—New Jersey Watchdog, an investigative news site of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, has won a New York Press Club Award for a report on “retired” public officials who collect both paychecks and pensions from the Garden State.

The story, by reporter Mark Lagerkvist, was published last August and was selected by judges in the category of political coverage.

“Double-dipping  enables public officials in New Jersey to game the system at taxpayer expense,” said Lagerkvist. “The public deserves to know about a practice that drains money from state pension funds already facing a $42 billion debt.”

Lagerkvist’s investigation uncovered five dozen retired state employees back on New Jersey’s payroll– one third hired under Governor Chris Christie, who boasted about his efforts to reform government.

“We are extremely proud of Mark and happy that he is being recognized for this ground-breaking investigation of New Jersey public officials,” said Jason Stverak, president of the Franklin Center. “His work has shed light onto a system that has been abused for years.”

The New York Press Club Awards will be presented on Monday, June 10, at the Press Club’s Awards Presentation Dinner at Manhattan’s Water Club. You can view all the NYPC award winners here.

For media inquiries, contact Michael Moroney at Michael.Moroney@FranklinCenterHQ.org

The Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity is a leader in non-profit journalism. It was founded in 2009 to address falling standards in the media as well as a steep falloff in reporting on state government and provides professional training and assistance with a mission of exposing waste, fraud, and abuse in government.

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My last post discussed the context of investigative journalism. Now let’s look at some success!

The new era of state-based online investigative journalism stems not only from the decline of resources in newspapers around the nation, but also the growing vacuum in state-based coverage on numerous topics. Many traditional newsrooms no longer have the financial resources to retain a capitol news reporter on staff. In fact, anAmerican Journalism Review study found that only 355 full-time newspaper reporters are still based in the nation’s state capitals and that 44 statehouses have fewer full-time reporters than they did six years ago.

Our team of investigative journalists has reported on every subject from healthcare to energy, in every corner of the country. From misuse of taxpayer money in Nebraska to voter fraud in Ohio, reporters are investigating the stories that the traditional media is overlooking. This type of journalism is not just fulfilling the role of small-market media. In some cases, it is drawing audiences away from traditional media outlets.

Read more on Americas Future

The United States may lead the free world, but according to a new survey, we don’t even crack the top ten in freedom of the press.

According to a new Gallup Poll, 87 percent of Americans believe that the media in our country is free–a high number, but a full 10% below Finland, the worldwide leader. That 1 out of every 8 Americans doesn’t say our press is free suggests that both the government and media have some work to do to reaffirm one of our fundamental Constitutional rights.

A free press is the foundation of a free society. If you need proof, just take a look at some of the nations which finished in the bottom ten of Gallup’s survey: war-torn Palestine and Sudan, dictatorial Zimbabwe, and Yemen–a chaotic breeding ground for terrorists. New to the bottom ten this year is Russia, which has plummeted rapidly as Putin’s regime has clamped down on political protests and anti-government voices. Moscow has taken a long step backward from the days when glasnost helped bring down the Soviet Union.

It should come as no surprise that the nations with the most freedom of the press generally have higher economic freedom, more human development, and less public corruption, while countries with less freedom of the press are more likely to be labeled as “failed states.” A free press opens up a society and holds government accountable, allowing for greater competition in the marketplace and greater freedoms for citizens.