Hoth Takes #55: You Can’t Both-Sides the Empire

Would independent journalists have prevented the events of Star Wars from happening? In this episode, we unpack a topic at the precise intersection of our fandom and our professional lives: the role of journalism and media in Star Wars. How do people in the Star Wars galaxy get their  news, and how does news consumption affect their lives? How do three successive galactic governments use HoloNet broadcasts to their advantage? And what does the lack of local news mean for people suffering from apathy or mistreatment on far-flung planets? We also discuss how Star Wars journalists balance morality and objectivity, including the ethical challenges of reporting the news from inside the Empire.