All Episodes
Bonus Episode: News Deserts, Echo Chambers, and the Digital Town Square
In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Dr. Leona M. Rios explores one of the most urgent issues in journalism today: the collapse of local news and...
The Darkening Forest: How Informal News Ecosystems Are Reshaping What We Know
As local newspapers vanish and broadcast outlets shrink, a new—and often shadowy—ecosystem is stepping in to fill the information void: Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats...
Bonus Episode: Bridging the Divide – Journalism in an Age of Polarization
In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Dr. Kanji Nakamura, a civic engagement expert from San Francisco, unpacks one of the most urgent threats to ...
Quantum Civics and Journalism: How Local Focus Can Bridge National Divides
What if the key to healing our national divisions isn’t in Washington, but right next door? In this episode of On Assignment, host Liz Cochrane explores the idea of “Q...
Verified Voices: The Promise and Pitfalls of User-Generated Content
In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Dr. Marisol Treviño unpacks the complex world of user-generated content (UGC) — the citizen-shot videos, soc...
The Rise of Citizen News: Understanding and Using User-Generated Content
User-generated content—or UGC—is reshaping the way news is gathered, reported, and consumed. In this episode of On Assignment, host Gath Townsend sits down with digita...
Bonus: From Doomscrolling to Civic Joy: How Local News Can Reconnect Us
Why do we keep scrolling through headlines that only make us feel worse?In this bonus episode of On Assignment, guest host Nari Han—a researcher who explores why peopl...
From Doomscrolling to Civic Joy: Centering Solutions in Local Storytelling
What if local news could do more than report problems—what if it could inspire action and connection?In this episode, host Liz Cochrane speaks with Nari Han about the ...
Bonus: Who Pays for the News? Funding the Fourth Estate
In this special bonus episode of On Assignment, Malcolm Redd steps into the host chair to explore the financial future of local journalism. As advertising dollars vani...
The Price of News: Finding a Future for Local Journalism
In this episode of "On Assignment," host Liz Cochrane sits down with expert Malcolm Redd to explore the challenging landscape facing local news outlets in Central Penn...
Bonus: The Rise of News Deserts — Why It Matters for Your Community
In this special supplemental episode of On Assignment, guest host Marianne Keller explores a growing crisis that’s quietly reshaping life in America: the expansion of ...
Mapping Central PA's Information Ecosystem
Where do people get their news—and what does that say about the health of our civic life? In this episode of On Assignment, host Gath Townsend is joined by media ecos...