The civic organization Arizona Talks put on a panel discussion Tuesday evening addressing the topic, “Can we restore public confidence in the media?” The participants were mostly local mainstream media, with the exception of KTAR talk show host Jim Sharpe, a libertarian. The Arizona Republic’s executive editor told people to get off social media, and the general manager for PBS said unlike people who believe in “conspiracy theories,” the media looks at facts before coming to a conclusion.
The discussion was moderated by former state legislator Heather Carter, who was considered a liberal Republican while in the legislature and who has since re-registered as an independent. She said a recent poll from the Center for the Future of Arizona found that 85 percent believe that news media coverage of political parties and candidates running for office has created more division.
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