WITH MEDIA BASHING en vogue, Dan Shelley, the incoming Radio and Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) executive director, has made advocating for journalists — and preserving their ability to do their jobs — his top priority. Although Shelley, a veteran of TV, radio and digital newsrooms, doesn't officially take over from the retiring Mike Cavender until September, he already is in full swing work mode, most notably ramping up the efforts of RTDNA's new First Amendment Task Force (see Local TV, page 36). As he has observed, "The erosion of the trust of the media by the public and certain politicians has been significantly exacerbated during the last two years." And toward that end, there's a continued charter for the organization founded in 1946: "To stand up for journalists and the people the journalists represent, the public." Shelley spoke with B&C contributing editor Diana Marszalek about the 70-year-old organization's relevancy, how it might sway public opinion and whether the industry itself is part of the problem. An edited transcript follows.
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