What is the role of journalism today amid a changing media landscape? Upper School students in Lyda Ely’s Media & Message course had a front-row seat to the work of a journalist when they welcomed special guest speaker Madeleine Baran, an investigative journalist and the lead reporter of the podcast In the Dark by APM Reports. Baran’s reporting for the podcast was largely responsible for freeing Curtis Flowers, a Black man who spent 23 years on death row in Mississippi.

Before Baran’s visit, students had already begun exploring the complexities of media bias and objectivity through a research project related to the recent election. They examined the positions of each candidate on key issues like the economy, immigration, abortion and crime. The goal was to dig beyond the headlines and find middle ground—assessing how different news sources, often shaped by political leanings, portrayed the candidates' stances. Did the media's portrayal align with or contradict the candidates' actual positions? This hands-on research, which culminated in a "case study" presentation to the class, set the stage for understanding how journalists must sift through multiple perspectives to uncover and report the truth.

Listening to In the Dark served as a complement to this research, offering a powerful example of how investigative journalism can have a tangible, life-changing impact. Afterward, Baran joined the class via Zoom, giving the students a rare behind-the-scenes look at how she uncovered information, navigated complex perspectives, and built her compelling story. "It was like meeting a celebrity," says Lydia B. ‘25. “It was surreal to have listened to a story unfold, and then see the person behind it in front of us answering questions,” Bryce W. ‘25 adds.

[The students'] hands-on research set the stage for understanding how journalists must sift through multiple perspectives to uncover and report the truth.

For Upper School students, it was illuminating to get this inside look at the complicated nature of truth-seeking in the media. Baran delved into some of the investigative tactics she used, including how she built trust with key sources and navigated the challenges of maintaining objectivity while uncovering the truth. “I have a new respect for journalism,” reflects Viraaj S. ‘25. “My view of journalism changed,” says Sophie K. ‘26. “[Baran] had a lot of people attacking her for what she did, and it would have been really hard to do that.”

Baran’s visit also deepened the students’ understanding of what it takes to create a good news story. Beyond gathering facts, students learned that it’s about weighing and vetting a variety of sources and crafting an impactful, compelling narrative. Students also reviewed the ethics of reporting as outlined in news organizations' standards and practices. Lydia shares that after hearing from Baran, she was inspired to interview someone with a different viewpoint to add nuance to an article she was writing. Esteban R. ‘25, who isn’t a habitual podcast listener, was struck by the techniques used in In the Dark that helped bring the information to life. “[Baran’s team] did a really good job of being descriptive,” Esteban says. “If you closed your eyes, you could almost see what was happening.”

The students also applied their new understanding of media bias and perspective to follow-up assignments, which included writing their own news article and producing a presentation or podcast that would ask the same critical questions they explored earlier. These assignments helped enforce the overall goal of the class, which, according to Lyda, is to help students learn how to recognize media bias, evaluate perspective and maintain objectivity, all while seeking truth. They begin with theoretical lessons on these concepts and gradually work toward using them in their own journalistic practice.

There’s a lot of power in a pen ... journalism is a real document of what’s happening and how we can improve it. Bryce W. ‘25

Taking the time to dive deeper into the process of creating news stories—and then hearing directly from the journalist behind an investigative piece that helped right an injustice—left these members of “the TikTok generation” with a profound understanding of the continued importance of the journalistic process. “There’s a lot of power in a pen,” says Bryce. “Our future is dictated by the past, and journalism is a real document of what’s happening and how we can improve it. Journalism is our future.”