Swalwell case reminds us that traditional media still matter

screenshot from cnn’s april 10 investigative story into then U.S. Rep. eric Swalwell. it got results. Many press haters who like to point to errors and bias have added an even more cutting criticism in recent years: irrelevancy.It’s a fair question, as readership, viewership and staff size at newspapers, TV and radio stations, and magazines have plummeted. Recent national political campaigns have gravitated to podcasters and social media influencers, few of whom practice conventional journalism.A March survey of 1,170 voters in the 2024 presidential election showed that 70% said they get news from online sources in a typical week, according to researchers at the University of Mississippi. Numbers for other sources were way lower: TV, 55%; newspapers, 24%; radio, 18%; magazines, 5%.Online sources include credible ones produced by legacy news organizations, but those aren’t where people are turning, according to the survey. Instead, it’s to individual online influencers, personalities…