Local journalism is in crisis. Community newspapers are folding and those that remain struggle to devote resources to reporting on local issues. Meanwhile political polarization is growing and local issues are increasingly viewed through the lens of national politics and partisanship. This year’s Masterman Speaker Series will examine the relationship between the decline of local news and the rise of polarization, as well as the effect this decline has had on government accountability and democracy more generally. The discussion will also consider models for strengthening and reimagining local journalism in the years ahead. With : * Joshua P. Darr, associate professor of political communication in the Manship School of Mass Communication and Department of Political Science at Louisiana State University * Renée Loth, opinion columnist for The Boston Globe * Charles St. Amand, Vice-President of the New England Society of News Editors’ Board of Governors * Dan Kennedy, Professor in the School of Journalism at Northeastern University (moderator) ### About the Masterman Speaker Series Some of the most polarizing and provocative issues of our time involve matters rooted in the First Amendment. Edward I. Masterman, JD ‘50, LLD ‘90 and his wife Sydell, established the Masterman Speaker Series on the First Amendment and the Fourth Estate to provide a forum for robust debate and exchange of ideas on freedom of the press and its attendant responsibilities. The Speaker Series brings together representatives from government, the legal profession, and the press for the purposes of informing, educating, and engaging those who care deeply about these issues.