If Neil deGrasse Tyson is right, journalists need to become community cheerleaders – now more than ever

By Rob Golub

It feels like the whole information ecosystem is going off the rails.

We’ve got anger and deep polarization. We’ve got deepfakes so convincing we can’t always tell if someone really said or did something. And we’re stuck in our own social media feeds, comfortable in silos, thinking our narrative is the one true North Star.

Journalism still holds the truth — but right now, it’s locked behind a carnival door. Neil deGrasse Tyson, the scientist and public intellectual, has warned repeatedly that the internet’s role as a source of objective truth may soon collapse. He predicts that deepfakes will become so convincing that people will lose the ability to distinguish real from fake, and the internet could devolve into little more than a platform for cat videos. Check your personal feed and consider how you feel about its veracity, and you may conclude that this monumental cultural shift is already upon us.

If he’s even half right, this moment is an opportunity. We journalists must step forward and earn back trust. The way to do it is by becoming community cheerleaders. When we cheer on our communities, when our news product feels like it belongs to the community, even part of the family, audiences will believe us. They’ll accept the truth we already know how to deliver.

And if Tyson’s prediction comes to pass, we’ll be what’s left standing.

Some may say being a cheerleader betrays objectivity. History shows otherwise. Journalists of the World War II era sought to provide truth and balance, yet they didn’t hesitate to proclaim victory over the Axis powers. Newspapers ran bold headlines celebrating that their sons were coming home and that the long trudge of war was ending. They were objective, but they also stood up for their communities.

Today, we face manipulation and bitterness. Like our predecessors, we can stand up too. Here’s how:

1.    Don’t beat your audience down needlessly. If they already know school test scores are low, you don’t have to remind them at every turn. Be truthful and responsible, but also judicious.

2.    Stand up for your community. If someone is taking advantage of it or threatening it, your enterprise or investigative work can show you’re on their side. Show you care by caring.

3.    Celebrate the wins. Did the local team win? Give it a bold, happy headline. Did a local kid do something great? Put it on the front page with pride. These moments of celebration will give you credibility for the tougher stories.

4.    Look out for people in the quiet moments. Don’t misrepresent your neighbors when you quote them. Context matters as much as the exact words.

Be a community cheerleader. Earn your audience’s trust. Stand ready to fill the need for reliable information when the internet presents your community with fake videos of someone’s own grandmother begging for money.

Much has been written about the dangers AI brings. But maybe it also gives us a second chance to rebuild trust in journalism.

This is how we fight for journalism — and for our communities.

Like what you read?

I’m building a movement for stronger journalism rooted in emotional connection and community trust. If this resonates with you, please forward this to a colleague or friend who cares about the future of local or community news.

For more practical steps, check out the Successful Journalism One-Sheet Guide.

Together, we can create journalism that communities believe in.