Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2017
Charlotte has elected Vi Lyles as its first African-American female mayor. Mike Collins recaps the results with WFAE reporters, then a look at something surprising: America's rising confidence in the news media.
PART ONE
The most-expensive race for Charlotte mayor ended Tuesday with Vi Lyles elected as the first African-American female to hold the office.
"Today, we made history," Lyles, a two-term Democratic member of City Council, told supporters after her victory over Republican Council member Kenny Smith.
Lyles will be working with a City Council that will have five new members, and the majority of the Council will be members under the age of 40.
A look at the results, from city hall to the school board and the nearly billion-dollar school bond package.
GUESTS
Tom Bullock (@TomWFAE) and David Boraks (@davidboraks), WFAE reporters
PART TWO
In spite of, our perhaps because of President Trump’s attacks on the media, it seems Americans are more confident in the Fourth Estate.
A poll from early October found that nearly half of those surveyed (48 percent) were more trustful of the media. That’s up nearly ten points from last fall, and the increase mirrors a decline in the president’s approval rating.
That doesn’t necessarily mean the public likes the media. A sizable portion of the country still holds the media in low regard, including the president, who in the past month threatened NBC over a story he didn’t like.
Why the sudden, upward trend? Is there still room for improvement?
GUESTS
Issac Bailey, James K. Batten Professor of Public Policy at Davidson College; interim Charlotte Observer editorial board member (@ijbailey)
Charles Bierbauer, former CNN White House correspondent; professor at the University of South Carolina's School of Journalism and Mass Communication (@cjbsc)