Journalists in the United States are increasingly confronting significant challenges to press freedom amid growing media consolidation, political hostility, and evolving ethical concerns, according to independent journalist Georgia Fort and opinion writer Karen Attiah. The two spoke recently at “America @250: A journalism reckoning,” an event convening journalists, funders, and civic leaders to reflect on the state of free press in the country.

Fort, an Emmy Award-winning journalist based in Minnesota, was among only two media representatives allowed access to the courtroom during Derek Chauvin’s sentencing for the murder of George Floyd. She has spent nearly two decades covering community stories and is the founder of BLCK Press and the nonprofit Center for Broadcast Journalism. In January 2024, Fort became part of a controversial federal case after being arrested at her home in connection to a protest she covered in St. Paul. The protest involved rumors of a church pastor acting as a local Immigration and Customs Enforcement official. Fort, along with others including former CNN anchor Don Lemon, was indicted on charges related to violating federal protections of places of worship; she has pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.

Fort described a long-standing "journalism reckoning," underscoring challenges in the industry related to shrinking audience trust, ethical dilemmas posed by artificial intelligence, and the role of journalism in perpetuating harm in Black and brown communities. She also highlighted the influence of large media buyouts and regulatory pressures on editorial autonomy, arguing that journalists must both confront past shortcomings and reimagine their responsibilities to rebuild public trust.

Attiah, the founder of the Resistance Summer School and a former columnist and founding editor of The Washington Post’s Global Opinions section, has also faced professional adversity. She was dismissed from The Washington Post in 2025 over alleged misconduct stemming from social media posts about the death of political figure Charlie Kirk. Attiah has challenged the firing and is currently awaiting an arbitration decision. She previously made headlines in 2024 when she resigned as co-chair of the National Association of Black Journalists convention due to the organization's decision to host then-candidate Donald Trump without broader leadership input.

Both Fort and Attiah emphasized the historical and ongoing biases within mainstream American journalism, particularly around coverage of Black communities. They criticized the prevailing notions of objectivity and neutrality as sometimes masking intellectual avoidance and highlighted that systemic biases often result in the marginalization of important stories related to communities of color. Fort noted the problematic continued reliance by some newsrooms on police departments and government agencies with questionable credibility, citing examples such as the Minneapolis Police Department’s repeated misinformation in high-profile cases.

Looking ahead, Fort advocated for independent journalism as a transformative force similar to how streaming services disrupted the movie industry. She called for bold investment, technological innovation, and educational reform to equip journalists to cover complex issues like authoritarianism, which have been largely absent from traditional curricula. Fort promotes a collaborative, community-centered approach to storytelling, moving away from the competitive instincts that have long defined mainstream newsrooms. She stressed that partnership with Black-owned media outlets, such as Seattle-based Converge Media, is critical to changing the media landscape.

Attiah’s Resistance Summer School has expanded into a broader Resistance Studies Series, offering accessible classes and events nationwide, including those that have faced cancellation or bans. Her goal is to ensure that storytelling better reflects the experiences of marginalized communities and challenges misleading or incomplete narratives about American history.

“Stories are the oldest vehicle for carrying meaning and purpose,” Attiah said. “There is so much violence around who gets to tell the story.” Both journalists underscored the importance of protecting press freedoms, advocating for equitable representation, and confronting uncomfortable truths to strengthen the future of journalism in the United States.