FROM THE NEST | SPRING 2025 | 15 wrongdoing, I think journalists have an obligation to look into it,” Baron said. The Spotlight investigation and its subsequent publicity continues to have an impact on how institutions around the world deal with allegations of sexual abuse and harassment. It also reignited investigative journalism, which “atrophied at a lot of institutions” because it requires a lot of time and money, but doesn’t always guarantee results, Baron said. “Most importantly, it gave voice to people who hadn’t had a voice, and it reminded journalists that we need to listen to people who don’t have power, because they often have very powerful things to say.” It’s journalists’ responsibility to present the facts for the public, but it’s not easy, he said. He believes reporters need to do a better job of understanding the general public and accurately and honestly reflecting the public’s concerns and political views. People need to see they are reflected in the stories being reported. Journalists also need to keep an open mind and not assume they know the answers to a story before it is thoroughly investigated, Baron said. Baron has returned to campus numerous times, including to celebrate the 125th anniversary of The Brown and White. He was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper while at Lehigh. V Spehar Explains Nontraditional Media Challenges Digital journalist V Spehar shared insight into nontraditional media and the challenges and opportunities it presents to journalists during the third and final event of this academic year’s series that took place on Feb. 6 at Baker Hall in Zoellner Arts Center. Spehar is the host and creator of @underthedesknews on TikTok, where they post short-form videos recapping notable headlines to more than 3 million subscribers. Spehar is also the host of the “V Interesting” podcast and creator of a Substack that has more than 73,000 subscribers. Spehar spoke about their unique path to becoming a digital journalist, having studied theater in college before earning their MBA and going on to work in restaurants in New York City. Their first under-desk video appeared on Jan. 6, 2021, when Spehar posted a TikTok explaining the 25th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution while sitting under a desk. “I just thought nothing of it, and I went back to it, and it had millions of views,” recalled Spehar. “My friend [said], ‘You better get back under that desk and tell people what’s going on now’ … and it’s been four years.” Though Spehar has amassed a large following for their news reporting, they said they sometimes struggle with calling themself a journalist, and they continue to explore what being a journalist means in an evolving media landscape. “I think at this point it would be disingenuous for me to say that I’m not a journalist, because saying you’re not a journalist kind of forgives you of any mistakes or intentional misinformation or disinformation you put out,” Spehar said. “You have to hold yourself to certain ethics standards.” Spehar explained the differences between mis- and disinformation, and said misinformation is when a reporter makes a mistake that can be fixed. Disinformation, they said, is the intentional manipulation of somebody for some sort of other gain, and can manifest in the intentional placing of conspiracy theories or lies. Spehar said the means for building a culture around deciphering and better identifying disinformation from fact needs to be further explored. Prior to both Compelling Perspectives events, Baron and Spehar attended question-and-answer sessions with groups of students. Information, including the topic and speakers, for the 2025-26 academic year is forthcoming.—Christina Tatu and Lauren Thein “WHEN THERE’S EVIDENCE OF WRONG- DOING, ESPECIALLY GREAT WRONGDOING, I THINK JOURNALISTS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO LOOK INTO IT.” —Marty Baron ’76 ’76G ’14H Provost Nathan Urban (left) with Marty Baron ’76 ’76G ’14H (right) and a group of students at a question-and-answer session prior to the Compelling Perspectives event on Dec. 5, 2024. V Spehar CHRISTA NEU
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