The first installment of our Local News in America Project takes us to New Hampshire. It’s here in Portsmouth that you’ll find the ‘Nation’s Oldest Newspaper,’ the New Hampshire Gazette. This oral history offers a look at the Gazette’s beginnings and meanders its way through to the present day, with Steven Fowle telling this story as no one else can: He is the third cousin, five times removed, of the original publisher, Daniel Fowle.

Daniel Fowle founded the Gazette in 1756, much to the disdain of local authorities — who provided Fowle with plenty of fodder to fill the pages of the Gazette as the Revolutionary War raged on. After being jailed for speaking out, Fowle doubled down on seeking truth. His spirit lives on in the family’s DNA, and today, Steven uses the 8-page Gazette to call it as he sees it. This Vietnam Vet discusses family, current events, history, publishing, and truth.  

Hosted by Jaci Clement, Fair Media Council CEO and Executive Director. More: fairmediacouncil.org

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Jaci Clement CEO & Executive Director, Fair Media Council & Host, FMC Fast Chat Podcast

Jaci Clement earned her first byline in a daily paper when she was in the fourth grade. She's worked in news and with news ever since. Now, she is considered one of the country's most influential media scholars. As CEO and Executive Director of the Fair Media Council, Jaci is noted for her visionary leadership of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, now a prominent U.S. platform for thought leadership in news and media. The Fair Media Council advocates for quality news and works to create a media-savvy society. She also hosts the award-winning podcast, FMC Fast Chat. A native of Youngstown, Ohio, she attended Hofstra University, where she earned a B.A. in communications and journalism. Today she lives on Long Island's North Shore, is owned by a large dog, and drives a small car.