Best Case Scenarios Emily Bell on Journalism
Apr 15, 2026
Emily Bell, Columbia Journalism School professor and former Guardian editor, sketches journalism’s next 25 years. She talks community-rooted, decentralised news and new business models prioritising social good. AI’s role in reporting, transparency and accountability, and ethical worries about surveillance and privacy also feature prominently.
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Reporters Partner With Communities Not Parachute In
- Journalists must become partners with communities, leveraging citizen visuals and mesh networks rather than parachuting in.
- Emily cites Arab Spring, Iran, Gaza, and Minnesota as examples where local phone footage and sharing built resilience.
Global Journalism Will Be Distributed Peer Networks
- Global coverage will be distributed and peer-based, not dominated by a single centralized newsroom.
- Emily points to networks like GIJN, Internet Archive, and Wikipedia as models of decentralized global journalism collaboration.
Invest In Hyperlocal Newsrooms Covering Neighborhoods
- Focus on hyperlocal reporters covering blocks and neighborhoods to replace vanished city dailies.
- Emily highlights Block Club, Sahan Journal, Outlier, and the Baltimore Banner as working hyperlocal models.
