In this episode of Misguided: The Podcast, I’m joined by Dr. Patrick Johnson, a journalism scholar at Marquette University whose work focuses on news literacy, trust in journalism, and the relationship between media institutions and the communities they serve. Before entering academia, Patrick spent years teaching high school journalism, an experience that continues to shape how he thinks about journalism not simply as information delivery, but as a form of public education.

We begin by discussing why trust in journalism has become so fractured, and why treating distrust as a single problem misses the bigger picture. Patrick explains how different communities experience journalism differently, from conservatives who feel misrepresented to marginalized groups whose distrust is rooted in histories of exclusion or harm. Rather than reducing trust to a survey metric, he argues that rebuilding it requires deeper engagement with communities and a rethinking of journalism’s role in public life.

From there, we dig into Patrick’s research on what he calls metacognitive news literacy: the idea that journalists themselves must model transparency, reflection, and critical thinking if they want audiences to better understand how news is produced and evaluated. We also discuss the parallels between journalism and public health, why local news ecosystems matter so much, and how stronger relationships between institutions and communities can help rebuild trust.

We close on a more hopeful note, discussing why Patrick remains optimistic about the future of journalism despite the challenges it faces. His answer ultimately comes back to people, the journalists trying to improve their craft, the students shaping the future, and the possibility that institutions can still grow into something better.

You can listen to the full episode here or via the links below. As always, if you find my podcast useful or interesting, feel free to share it with someone who might also enjoy it.

Patrick’s website

TrustingNews.org

News Avoidance and LGBTQ+ Coverage

Follow Patrick on LinkedIn

Keywords: Patrick Johnson, media literacy, news literacy, journalism, science communication, health communication

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