Kansas City’s democracy depends on public infrastructure of a free press | Opinion
Across the country, lawsuits, settlements and access restrictions target journalists. Kansas City does not have to follow that playbook.
This is the fourth time I’ve written in The Kansas City Star about one theme: the future of a free press. I return to it because the pressure on journalism continues to escalate, and Kansas City’s choices will determine whether our democracy grows stronger or weaker.
This month, The New York Times faced a $15 billion defamation lawsuit, one of the largest of its kind in U.S. history. Earlier this year, Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a case tied to a “60 Minutes” interview. Associated Press reporters were denied White House access, raising First Amendment concerns. And even beyond journalism, late-night shows have come under pressure: CBS announced “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” will end in May 2026, and ABC this week suspended “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” after complaints over its host’s remarks. The message is consistent: Dissent carries consequences.
At the same time, local journalism is disappearing. Since 2005, more than 3,200 newspapers have closed across the country, according to Northwestern University’s Medill Local News Initiative. The United States now loses about 2.5 papers every week. Dozens of those closures have been in Kansas and Missouri, leaving communities without watchdogs covering school boards, city councils and county commissions. Research shows that when local reporting vanishes, voter turnout drops, borrowing costs for cities rise and corruption increases. Those are civic consequences, not partisan ones.
The local picture adds urgency. In July 2025, Congress eliminated $1.1 billion in federal funding for public media. Missouri and Illinois outlets alone are projected to lose more than $20.5 million a year. Kansas City PBS has said it faces a 13% annual budget shortfall. KCUR and other public broadcasters are working to sustain their service to the community despite the cuts, but diminished federal support makes that job harder at the very moment when our region needs them most.
News is civic infrastructure. Just as we maintain roads, schools and libraries because communities cannot function without them, we must maintain journalism. It ensures that residents know how their tax dollars are spent, whether their water is safe and who is making decisions that affect their daily lives. Without it, the public square collapses into rumor and misinformation.
Government accountability not partisan
No single newsroom can carry the responsibility alone. Sustaining it will take the entire community: philanthropists, civic leaders and everyday readers who understand that strong, independent reporting protects everyone. That means supporting the outlets that serve our communities: The Kansas City Star, The Call, Dos Mundos, The Beacon, KCUR, Kansas City PBS, the Johnson County Post, the Missouri Independent, the Kansas Reflector, the Next Page KC, the Kansas City Defender and the Excelsior Citizen. Each plays a different role, but together they form the ecosystem of independent journalism our democracy depends on.
Local media owes accountability to you as well. Newsrooms such as mine follow ethics standards, correct mistakes and work every day to earn your trust. Government accountability is not a partisan issue. Every resident, no matter their politics, deserves to know how decisions are made and how tax dollars are spent. That kind of reliable information should unite us. It is part of what makes Kansas City work.
We are working for you, the people. Strong local journalism keeps Kansas City strong. It ensures our region’s interests remain independent and keeps the focus on local priorities instead of the noise from Washington. The First Amendment belongs to all of us, and now is the time to protect news as civic infrastructure.
Stephanie Campbell is CEO of The Beacon, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit news organization covering Missouri and Kansas.