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​A conversation with the executive editor of the Washington Post

Marty Baron joins Maneesh Agrawala, director of the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, to discuss journalism in an age of technological change and polarized politics.

The Washington Post newsroom | Reuters/Gary Cameron

The Washington Post newsroom | Reuters/Gary Cameron

In a discussion hosted by the Brown Institute for Media Innovation, a joint initiative of Stanford Engineering and Columbia University, Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron spoke about a wide range of issues shaping the landscape of journalism.

In the face of fake news, eroding trust in media and the challenges of sustaining in-depth investigative reporting, Baron said that his and the Post’s mission remains the same: “My job is to deliver people the facts they need and deserve to know. And to do it in an honest, honorable, fair and accurate way. And a way that in my view is independent, independent of any party, independent of any politician and independent of any ideology.”

Baron also spoke about the ways the Washington Post is experimenting with different business models, exploring media forms to reach new audiences and confronting the challenges and opportunities of disruptive technological change.

“It’s an exciting time, particularly for someone of my generation, to be participating at this time in his career in the reinvention of our industry. At the same time, we’re confronted with all sorts of financial challenges. It’s really difficult to keep up with all the changes in technology and how our work is being disseminated, what that means for how we should change our work,” he said. “I lose a fair amount of sleep, but when I’m awake I’m fairly excited.”