How did we get from 30% profit margins to paywalls, nonprofit newsrooms, and creators funding investigative journalism one Substack post at a time?
In this episode of FMC Fast Chat, host Jaci Clement sits down with Richard Tofel — founding general manager and former president of ProPublica, now leading Gallatin Advisory and teaching at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health — for a candid, eye-opening conversation about the fractured economics of journalism, how credibility impacts revenue, and what’s really at stake for democracy.
🔥 Highlights include:
- Why the news industry never recovered from 2005
- The dark side of paywalls — and how they shift newsroom independence
- How to navigate a media landscape flooded with misinformation
- The COVID communications collapse: What public health Experts must learn
- Why today’s best journalism may be the best we’ve ever had
📌 Whether in the newsroom, a boardroom, or just trying to be an informed citizen, this episode will change how you think about the news — and what you choose to trust.
FMC Fast Chat is the official podcast of the Fair Media Council. Guest inquiries: [email protected]
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.
