As the media landscape has evolved over the past few decades along with the rise of the internet and social media the importance of fact-based, deeply researched investigative journalism has become increasingly clear. But, especially in recent years, the amount of misinformation and disinformation that’s flooding our news feeds has made some people unwilling to believe any news story they disagree with no matter how well documented the facts it contains are.
On today’s show we’re continuing our series of conversations with speakers from the Naples Discussion Group’s 20-21 schedule by talking with professor Ted Bridis, he is Rob Hiaasen Lecturer in Investigative Reporting in the Department of Journalism at University of Florida. He’ll be presenting a virtual lecture on Friday, January 29 on the Importance of Investigative Journalism in Our Current Environment.
Before joining UF in 2018, Bridis was editor of the Associated Press’ Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington investigative team and was AP’s leading newsroom expert on security practices for source-protection and on the U.S. Freedom of Information Act and related laws.
During his 20 years at the AP his investigative team won the 2012 Pulitzer and Goldsmith prizes for investigative reporting on NYPD intelligence programs, he was the first journalist to discover and trace Hillary Clinton’s private email server to her home’s basement in Chappaqua, New York, and his team was first to reveal in August 2016 Paul Manafort’s and Rick Gates’ covert foreign lobbying activities.
Professor Bridis was also one of AP’s seven analysts since 2004 responsible for projecting winners in national elections. His call in 2016 allowed AP to be the first new organization to project Donald Trump winning the presidency.
