Nancy Rommelmann on Free Speech, Real Journalism, and the State of Protest Culture

Journalist Nancy Rommelmann is clear-eyed about her commitment to a style of journalism she calls "shoe leather reporting." It’s a hands-on, down-to-earth approach, where, as she puts it, “your job is to go out and look at things and talk to people and let them tell you the story.” Rommelmann’s career — spanning thirty years — has seen journalism shift sharply, especially after 2015, with intensifying culture wars and pressures for journalists to pick a side. “People just want to kind of call things as they see them,” she notes, but with the rise of partisanship, "they’re tired, tired of not being able to do that."
Rommelmann dives into the volatility of protest culture, citing her coverage of Portland protests, where "we stopped seeing certain kinds of violence as violence and started calling it free speech." Her concern is rooted in the impact on small businesses: “When you’re breaking people’s windows or setting fires, there has to be some kind of consequence.” To her, free speech is vital but should not extend to physical destruction.
The loss of discourse troubles Rommelmann, who remains a staunch advocate for free speech: “If terrible ideas get into the ring with better ideas, they’re going to die on their own.” She believes discourse allows society to evolve, warning that "if you ban the bad ideas, they’re just going to go underground and come out in terrible, violent ways."
Rommelmann concludes with optimism, urging audiences to appreciate the many journalists still dedicated to real reporting. "There are just so many great journalists out there... people are doing great stuff on Substack, Reason, and The Atlantic," she says. Her work, driven by her innate curiosity and belief in uncovering human truths, embodies journalism’s timeless calling: “Journalism isn’t about sticking someone’s nose in what you think is the truth — it’s letting readers see for themselves.”