Thomas Jefferson once said, "Were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter." In this jaw-dropping talk, Chuck Plunkett, former Denver Post Editorial Page Editor, whistleblower, and leader of the Denver Rebellion, explains why the greatest threat to democracy is not fake news – but the catastrophic decline of local news. Chuck Plunkett, a professional journalist for more than 22 years, is the director of CU News Corps, a capstone program at the University of Colorado Boulder. He joined The Denver Post as a reporter in 2003, led coverage of the Democratic National Convention in 2008, and later served as the editorial page editor. Plunkett made international headlines for leading a team of writers who called out The Post’s owners, Alden Global Capital, for their business practices. He’s passionate about plant-based foods, distance running, and playing the piano.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx