A veteran South Dakota journalist shared his message of 250 years plus of American Civics and News with the Mitchell Rotary Club. Carson Walker is is CEO of South Dakota News Watch.
“If you go back 250 years, it’s been a part of our, the original time with those Revolutionary War papers. The freedoms that are guaranteed in the Constitution, there are several,” said Walker. “Constitutional separation of powers and checks and balances, you know, that is really so fascinating. I think at the national level, seeing some of that play out between especially the executive and judicial branch now. What can one branch do? What can the other do? The increasing voter apathy.”
He says since the Fairness Doctrine was repealed in 1987, journalism has become more confrontational.
Walker longs to turn back the clock. “The way it used to be, where yes, you’re a reporter and there’s gonna come times that we’re gonna butt heads, but we’re gonna treat each other with respect and we’re gonna understand,” Walker continued. “You know, and Governor Mickelson always understood. He didn’t always like it, but always took your call, always able to do that, and man alive it would be great to get back to that.”
South Dakota News Watch is a nonprofit that tells fact-based stories, verifies claims and engages with communities to identify solutions.