“Listen more, talk less" - Lorie Hearn's Journalism Journey

“Listen more, talk less" - Lorie Hearn's Journalism Journey

From Kroc Pod by University of San Diego's Kroc School of Peace Studies

May 1, 2026 · 39 min · Season 7 · Episode 48

About this episode

Lorie Hearn discusses her journey in investigative journalism and the importance of community-powered reporting.

Investigative journalism doesn't just hold power accountable — it shapes the communities we live in. In this episode of Kroc Pod, we sit down with Lorie Hearn, one of San Diego's most consequential journalists and the founder of inewsource, a nonprofit newsroom that has redefined what local investigative reporting can look like. Hearn traces her path from an early obsession with storytelling to decades on the frontlines of accountability journalism — then we dig into what it takes to earn public trust in an era of media skepticism, why community-powered journalism may be the most vital model for democracy, and how watchdog reporting is evolving in the age of AI. Check out these links for more info: inewsource: https://inewsource.org/ The Trust Project: https://thetrustproject.org/ Follow Us: https://www.instagram.com/krocschool/ Learn more: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/school/krocschool/posts/?⁠ ⁠feedView=all⁠ Reach Out: ⁠krocpod@gmail.com

People in this episode

Host: University of San Diego's Kroc School of Peace Studies

Guest: Lorie Hearn

Topics covered

  • investigative journalism
  • community-powered journalism
  • media skepticism
  • accountability journalism
  • AI in journalism

Keywords

  • journalism
  • accountability
  • community
  • media
  • AI
  • trust
  • reporting

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: inewsource, The Trust Project

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