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The definition of news hasn't changed in centuries, but the job description of a journalist, and what it means, is constantly shifting. Chapter one of "Elements of Journalism" defines the modern journalist is "anyone who might find him or herself producing news and who aspires to do it ethically and responsibly."
So how has journalism changed over time and what can we guess about the future?
Centuries ago, the newspaper industry launched from Johannes Gutenberg's printing press and into the New World. Chapter one of "Elements of Journalism" details that publick houses, or pubs, became the leading source of news in America. And thanks to America's forefathers and their dislike of censorship, the press had an open and free environment to thrive. Thomas Jefferson once said about the press:
"No experiment can be more interesting than that we are now trying, and which we trust will end in establishing the fact, that man may be governed by reason and truth. Our first object should therefore be, to leave open to him all the avenues to truth. The most effectual hitherto found, is the freedom of the press."
Out of this came incredible publishers and incredible writers of the 20th century. Mogul men like Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst paved the way for political, hard-hitting and modern journalism.
Today we have online journalism, which took an extensive amount of time and effort to adapt to for the newspaper industry. Printing became more expensive with the advancement of the internet and online subscriptions became the norm. Those that survived adopted the notion that people aren't abandoning news, they're just receiving it in different, more convenient ways. The key was to adapt or fail.
The internet has led journalism into the digital age, giving readers online subscription options, real-time notifications, and stories tailored to their interests. So why isn't the majority of news discourse happening online?
Most people get their news from local television, not from smartphones or the internet. The Pew Research Center discovered that in 2016, 57 percent of adult Americans get their news from local TV.
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Source: Pew Research Center |
Chapter one of "Elements of Journalism" states that consumers make the mistake thinking that conversations on social media are more realistic and more honest than any other dialogue because it is unmediated. This notion, however, is false.
Local news provides its audience with information the public cares about in an area they work or live. More people are inclined to trust their local news because it concerns their loved ones— the people they trust. When breaking news concerns those around them, local people want to trust that their station is telling them honest and timely information. Ethics are a day-to-day challenge that many professionals face in the field on a daily basis.
Limiting Boundaries
Today, journalists have to do more with less— in every aspect. Most professionals have to have photography and videography skills on top of their writing. All that is needed at a major news event is in the palm of our hands: our phones. Camera quality and program speeds have advanced drastically since their debut. A reporter in the field can film and edit a video on his or her iPhone and send in the completed story in a record amount of time thanks to the computers in our back pockets.
However, the current political climate has put an unprecedented amount of pressure on news organizations to get the facts right as physically often and as fast as they can. Consumers of news have to remind themselves that news stories are not automatically written or printed: humans are behind every step. And being a human means that error is involved every once in a while. Journalists aren't perfect and a simple mistake should not constitute a relentless barrage of "fake news" spam.
The press is not the enemy of the people. In fact, the New York Times wrote an editorial stating that "calling journalists the 'enemy of the people' is dangerous, period." Newsrooms are committed to keeping the people informed and aware, but people are people and life happens. You cannot account for every possible mistake in life.
News in the future
The internet is not going to back down any time soon from bombarding us with endless amounts of content as time goes on. In 2014, The Telegraph reported that people are exposed to over 174 newspaper's worth of information a day.
Yet the world of journalism is vast and not limited to newspapers, which is why I think we will see a transition from more traditional ways of consuming news to highly customized interactions via social media. Social media is currently not the main source of news for U.S. adults, but it is on the rise thanks to the norm of smartphones and their quick access to information. Pew Research stated that significantly more people got their news from social media in 2017 than in 2016.
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| Source: Pew Research Center |
Interesting and informative read
ReplyDeleteWonderful read🏆
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