LAL #078 — Paul Bass on 'The Golden Age of Journalism'

Paul Bass is the founder and EIC of the New Haven Independent, one of the nation's first online-only, nonprofit multimedia newspapers. He is also the author of one of Norm's favorite books, "Murder in the Model City: the Black Panthers, Yale, and the Redemption of a Killer," a recount of the trial of 8 Black Panthers members accused of murdering a spy among them.

Similar to the magic of Norm's discussions with Ron Coleman, Paul Bass is an undeniable spirit, committed to the first amendment protections for the press. 

Paul is a lifer in the newspaper business. And if you ask us? He is the essence of American journalism. 

Paul joined Norm on a daily live show just a couple of weeks back. As you will hear, radio's advertising constraints simply did not do a service to the nature of Norm and Paul's intellectual journey. So Paul agreed to join Law and Legitimacy for a Fathers Day edition of the pod. 

Norm and Paul discuss what Paul calls the "big lobotomy" that has occurred in journalism, one that has seen hedge funds and highly capitalized corporate interest neutralize the independent voice in news and reporting. Paul also shares why he believes that such a dumbing down and whitewashing of reporting has cultivated "the Golden Age of Journalism" through the hundreds of experiments taking place today outside the walled garden of major corporate news. 

Preoccupied with how newspapers remain viable, Norm asks Paul to talk about the business model that has worked for Paul with the New Haven Independent, to unpack the limitations of advertising revenue as a model for scaling quality reporting, and how search engine optimization has replaced truth in the most basic sense of the word when it comes to sources of news and reporting upon which most Americans still today rely. 

Paul is an opponent of all hate speech laws, but is able to parse the nuance of message board management and the role of each outlet in deploying a realistic approach to platform censorship. In his own words, Paul is able to "embrace [his] inner China" when it comes to discerning between normal discourse and potentially slanderous personal attacks. Have we found a different door through which the likes of Twitter should walk?

The two talk broadly about American media as the mirror of its current society, analyze whether there has been a true loss of legitimacy in American institutions, and explore the proposition that working as a journalist is an inherently spiritual vocation. 

Perhaps one of Paul's most compelling qualities is his how politely he asks Norm whether he may disagree with him. This episode went a bit over time, but you will hear why. Enjoy Paul Bass. 

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