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Connections

Coming up on Connections: Wednesday, November 29th

CAITLIN WHYTE / WXXI NEWS

First hour: The changing media landscape, and the future of jobs in journalism

Second hour: Discussing New York State's spending on local farm food

When reports surfaced that not even BuzzFeed was meeting its earnings targets, young journalists might have wondered: is there a future in this field for me? BuzzFeed has been among the hottest media properties. If the strongest players are struggling, what does that mean for students considering journalism as a career? We’ll discuss job prospects and the news media landscape. In studio:

  • Dick Moss, news director for the Democrat & Chronicle
  • Lauren Peace, suburban trends reporter
  • Shappelle Thompson, publisher of Open Mic Roc
  • Andrea Hickerson, director of the School of Communication at RIT

Then in our second hour, is New York State spending enough on food from local farms? A new report from the New York Academy of Medicine and the American Farmland Trust says the state can do more. Four years after Governor Cuomo passed the Food Metrics Law to encourage state institutions to buy fresh food from farmers, it isn’t clear how much the state is actually spending on local food. The report estimates the number could be about 10 percent, but it recommends an increase in spending to 25 percent. The groups say purchasing local food could increase the state’s economic output and improve the health and wellness of many New Yorkers, especially those who are food insecure. We’ll discuss if that goal is realistic, the challenges local farmers face why trying to meet institutional needs, and projections for New York’s food future. Our guests:

  • Denis Lepel, owner of Lakestone Family Farm
  • Chris Hartman, founder of Headwater Food Hub
  • Mark Scott, executive director for Campus Auxiliary Services at SUNY Geneseo
  • David Haight, New York State director and assistant vice president for regional programs at American Farmland Trust
Connections
Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.