The Future of Journalism:
The future of journalism? (credit to stretchphotography.com)
As it is becoming increasingly clear through this blog, journalists and the journalism industry is an important issue in studies of the media. As a budding journalist, hearing that the industry is ‘dying’ and that the jobs are dwindling is comfronting. However, in an interview with New York Times columnist David Carr and Bloomberg Media chairman Andrew Lack take a more positive view and their interview will form the basis of my analysis.
One of the key changes which they discuss about the change in the journalism industry is the rise of citizen journalists. In today’s age, blog posts are breaking news and websites such as Buzzfeed taking on stories that in the past were suited to lengthy features in a reputable newspaper. This highlights the change that the industry is facing and it has to be said it is a positive change. The audience engagement has turned into audience participation with the audience now becoming the journalist. It allows for various views, other than those controlled by politically driven news organisations and the common person can relate to their fellow people in society.
Also discussed in the interview is the need for journalists to embrace these citizen journalists. The journalism industry has moved past the morning paper and the news in the evening with news breaking constantly throughout the day. With various levels of journalism on the internet, the amount of content is endless and therefore the job opportunities, particularly at a freelance level are endless.
While all of the reports are doom and gloom and paint the journalism industry is in a downward spiral, the sheer amount of people who get to voice their opinion on the internet and possibly even get paid for it is endless. This could possibly put, as Andrew Lack coins it ‘the golden age of journalism’. If the journalism industry looks at itself in a glass half full light, then it is possible the future is very bright.
References:
bu 2014, NYT’s David Carr on the Future of Journalism, online video, 6 March, YouTube, viewed 16 March 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPlazqH0TdA
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This blog post is well written and clearly explains some key aspects of the video. In regards to citizen journalism, another important point is their role in crowdsourcing. Journalists can send out a tweet and eye witness accounts or people with expert knowledge can easily be found. I think your point about how the abundance of news can provide an opportunity for freelance journalists is a good observation as the traditional notion of journalist is constantly changing.
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