My classmates' blogs show the true state of journalism: journalists are not trusted by society, the news industry is failing to provide an essential service to the people, old ways of reporting are on the way out and no one is quite sure what to do next. Oh, and half the class is not perusing careers in journalism, citing reasons like ridiculously low pay and negative job availability after graduation.
This is a time when new journalists (listen up C&J 475) have a chance to rebuild, reinvent and redefine the field of journalism. It’s dawning on my generation that even our professors (especially our professors) have no idea what form journalism will take or what we need to do to prepare. Yeah, we can all see it’ll be technologically based –but we don’t need a degree to figure that out.
News reporting is a service done to maintain freedom and democracy in this country. Media is the only business protected in the Constitution. So, why is it a business at all?
As newspapers drop like flies around the country, it is more obvious every day that current conglomerate, publicly traded, huge media corporations are not providing adequate service to the American people. I know I’ve spent plenty of time whining about these media giants, but I’ve felt powerless against them. They can afford a microphone to send their message when all I have is a whisper. But times are changing and new opportunities are on the horizon.
My suggestion: take news back.
Journalism should be run as other service programs in America are –not for profit. News organizations should be responsible for providing many sides of the same story accurately with as many sources as possible, without advertisers and investors to answer to.
With new technology, the power is being given back to the people. Instead of crying about it, journalists need to utilize it. We work for the people, not for the profit.
Budding journalists seem to be opposed to the idea of citizen journalism –we want news to be reported by professionals, like us (but not actually us, since we’re not going into the field.) Maybe listening to what our audience has to say is the answer, an not only listening, but responding in a meaningful and creative way.
Mainstream media should not feel challenged or threatened by bloggers and citizen journalists, they should consider them resources, teammates working toward the same goal.
Nonprofit journalism is already springing up all over the country. National Public Radio is probably the most successful nonprofit news organization. Some new examples include Voice of San Diego, an online daily, and ProPublica, an investigative journalism group based in New York.
For more information on nonprofit news:
Nonprofit journalism on the rise
Nonprofit News - American Journalism Review
networking
I’m supposed to write everyday for a successful blog. But I’m also not supposed to care what people think. I can’t write daily. But right now I’m a little shaken. If I could give myself advice four years ago, I would tell myself to keep good connections. Anyone who gives you a good vibe –keep em. Network like a mother. It will do you huge favors later in life. I know I wouldn’t have listened to this advice. In fact, somebody probably told me that same advice, repeatedly. And I didn’t listen. I didn’t want to be one of those little social pigeons who got their position in life by kissing up to people who could cut it themselves. I wanted to make it on my own. But I didn’t know that these successful people already had connections. It’s not the whole “It’s not what you know, but who you know” line of bull. But really, good connections will always be good connections. People are community animals. They share, eat, live and play together. We also work together. If you can accomplish a few of those things while having a hot chai at the local coffee shop –now that’s having your shit together. I never understood what people were talking about until now. And the best part is that I can still make good connections. Even now, when I have one semester left. I realize now it is far more important to be myself and the universe will provide people who can help me, and also people who need my help, support, guidance, smile, whatever. Trust in the world and it will provide for you. Being fake isn’t a requirement for making a network, in fact, it won’t work if you aren't really you.
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