At Napa Valley event, Hussman says restoring media trust is essential
JUNE 2025
CFINR
At Napa Valley event, Hussman says restoring media trust is essential
ST. HELENA, Calif. — Speaking before an audience of nearly 100 members and invited guests at The Napa Valley Reserve on June 27, Center for Integrity in News Reporting (CFINR) founder Walter E. Hussman Jr. urged attendees to recognize the urgent need to restore public trust in journalism as a cornerstone of democracy.
The event marked one of several donor engagement conversations the nonprofit has hosted across the country as it expands its national presence and introduces its mission to new supporters.
Hussman, chairman of WEHCO Media and former publisher of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, founded the Center in 2024 after more than five decades in journalism. Disturbed by the growing blend of opinion and fact in mainstream reporting, and reinforced by polling showing American media now ranks last in global trust among surveyed nations, Hussman felt compelled to act.
Hussman has long pointed to a quote from 19th-century New York Times publisher Adolph Ochs as a guide for his efforts: “To give the news impartially, without fear or favor.” That standard, Hussman says, fueled the rise of credible journalism in the 20th century and can again serve as a foundation for trust in media.
CFINR takes a broad approach toward this goal: awarding $25,000 prizes to reporters whose work demonstrates exceptional fairness and objectivity; promoting the public posting of journalistic value statements by newsrooms; and encouraging news outlets, journalism schools and civic leaders to adopt and promote standards that separate reporting from advocacy.
The Center’s next steps include expanding its speaker series in mid-sized U.S. media markets, deepening partnerships with collegiate journalism schools and fundraising toward a long-term endowment that will sustain its operations for generations.
