The Truth Business

The Truth Business investigates what happens when journalism disappears.

Confronting one of our most pressing policy dilemmas—the loss of independent, fact-based newsgathering everywhere—author Barney McManigal measures the impact on one American town. He charts the rise and spectacular fall of his hometown newspaper, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Santa Barbara News-Press—and documents the ensuing journalism deficit that has left people and democracy less safe. But The Truth Business also looks to the big picture, arguing that fewer journalists and less fact-based content at the local, regional, and national levels is a problem for everyone that demands our attention. Inspired by the courage and persistence of colleagues struggling to keep the news alive amid rising misinformation, McManigal urges us to reimagine our journalism institutions, and take action before it is too late.

A universal story based on real events, The Truth Business documents the infamous meltdown—the first of its kind in American journalism—at the author’s hometown newspaper and former employer. Spurred by the billionaire owner’s interference in the newsroom, the News-Press controversy fueled countless stories in global news outlets, and an acclaimed documentary. Exploring the roots of the rupture, McManigal hears from sources and readers about what is not being covered today, with findings that speak to communities large and small that have lost their journalists, and suffered the consequences—from lives lost to rising corruption. Reviewing the state of the industry, he argues that investing in journalism is the best defense against proliferating falsehoods online and off.