For Wayne Garcia, a USF professor and former journalist who’s worked for newspapers like the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times, the media today isn’t what it once was. 

He said the public’s trust in the media has been “broken.”

“This is the most dangerous time for the freedom of the press and for the free flow of information overall, for everyone,” said the USF mass communications professor. 

As federal actions raise concerns about media access and funding, journalism professionals and a student reporter shared the view on the continued need for the press.

In February, President Donald Trump’s administration announced it would take control of the presidential press pool, the group of journalists assigned to cover the White House.

The role was previously held by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents journalists covering the White House and works to ensure access for the press. 

This decision “tears at the independence of a free press,” according to the association’s statement.

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Garcia said public media, such as NPR and PBS, are “under attack.”

The administration also supported defunding public broadcasting during a March hearing with NPR and PBS, after Trump said he’d “love” to defund the outlets, according to AP news.

The Federal Communications Commission is investigating both broadcasters for airing “underwriting announcements” that may be considered commercial advertisements, according to NPR.

The president has also labeled NPR and PBS as “biased.”

Garcia said he is unsure whether there will be “public appetite” for the continued support of the outlets, given how journalists are being “vilified.”

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Mahika Kukday is a senior in digital communication and multimedia journalism and news editor of The Crow’s Nest, USF St. Pete’s student newspaper. She said public media is “needed.”

“The need for real fact-based journalism, and especially reporting without a paywall like that of NPR and PBS, is absolutely essential in creating an informed public,” she said.

Kukday, who is also an intern at one of NPR’s stations, WUSF, said as an international student from India, she had always “respected” the level of free speech in the U.S. and the journalists’ ability to report about those in power. 

But she said the current state of the media feels like “taking 1,000 steps back.”

In February, the Associated Press was also blocked from covering White House events because writers used the term Gulf of Mexico instead of Gulf of America, according to AP News.

The Society for Professional Journalism Florida President and National Ethics Chair Michael Koretzky said the deeper issue with recent national events is how they affect the public’s trust in the media.

“My concern is less about the AP being able to go to presidential press briefings because obviously other people will, and more about – how does this resonate with the general public?” Koretzky said.

Koretzky said with the White House controlling coverage, school boards might feel they can do the same.

He said what “really” concerns him is how college media will be affected. Students “trust” outlets to inform them when something happens on campus, and Koretzky said he worries they could lose those sources.

“I want to make sure that students still grow up with that experience of trusting an objective party to tell them what’s going on,” Koretzky said. 

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Professor Garcia said students entering the field keep the “gears and wheels of our democratic machine” turning. 

“If students give up on that, then the democracy in this country, at least, is doomed,” Garcia said.

Kukday said she feels “more motivated” to pursue a career in journalism despite some challenges. She said she believes people are starting to return to news outlets for updates on White House developments.

Reflecting on last semester’s hurricanes, she said the USF St. Pete campus was “depending” on The Crow’s Nest for updates. Through covering dorm closures, storm damage and an investigation into missing items, Kukday saw the difference “accurate, timely” reporting can make. 

She said this kind of reporting is needed now “more than ever.”

“While I worry about employment because of the current job market, I feel motivated and almost compelled to use my voice to make a difference,” Kukday said. “The public needs journalism they can trust.”