News, at its best, is that essential vehicle which brings people out of isolation and transforms the chaotic masses of humanity into an informed and functioning society.
In recent years, the rapid development of new forms of technology has given rise to speculation about the future of journalism. Traditional newspapers are rapidly losing readers each year, and according to studies by the Pew Research Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, newspaper ad revenues have fallen almost 48% since 2006. With the ever increasing flow of information from every corner of the earth it is easy to become overwhelmed, and for many, the value of news seems to be lost in the great quagmire of irrelevance to be found on the internet.
This shift in the trend of information sharing has given some parties reason to look upon journalism as a dying field. I could not agree less. While the definition and form of news has changed and will continue to change as time passes, its essential purpose remains the same. Each of us, as human beings, has a desire to assert control over our circumstances; and that sense of control comes largely from the ability to communicate and to understand happenings in the world beyond what we experience on a day to day basis. Authors of The Elements of Journalism, Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel, call this need the Awareness Instinct. Because of this basic instinct, there will always be a place for news in any society where people are free to share information unhindered.
This past spring, I had the opportunity to hear Pia Hallenberg, a reporter for the Spokesman Review, give some insight on the challenges and opportunities facing journalists today. She has had a wide variety of experiences working with media; from newspaper reporting to radio broadcasting, to her own South Perry Blog, Hallenberg has come to possess a wealth of information and advice on surviving as a modern reporter. While Hallenberg admitted that jobs in the journalism field are harder to obtain and perhaps even harder to keep than in the past, she did not seem to share the opinion that the field was dying. She did mention, however, that journalists now need to be willing to constantly adjust to the changes of the times, and to keep ahead of the game by becoming as tech savvy as possible. The development of media convergence, she pointed out, makes it more necessary to be comfortable working with all forms of media. She particularly emphasized the advantages of knowing how to use programs such as InDesign and encouraged the practice of starting a personal blog.
In addition to the challenges that come along with technological innovation, the task of keeping the attention of the general public is also becoming more difficult. Our culture in the U.S. is one very much focused on constant, easily accessible stimulation and entertainment. Every waking moment, the average American has some form of amusement at their fingertips; accessible at a moment's notice. While these conveniences have definite benefits, we have become so conditioned to entertainment that it takes more to hold our attention.
Through the years, the style of journalism has moved away from flowery eloquence and has become more concise and calculating in order to grab the attention of a larger audience, and to provide something of interest for everyone. Media experts have found it beneficial to recognize that everyone has varying levels of interest on various subjects, and that each person is a part of the involved, interested or uninterested public on any given topic. This theory, known formally as the Theory of the Interlocking Public was originally developed by Dave Burgin to help journalists more effectively lay out newspaper pages.
The tempo of our universe is quickening. Nevertheless, as long as there are those willing to pick up their feet and adapt to the needs of our time; while preserving the pursuit of integrity, truth and curiosity -which are vital to the survival of the free press- journalism will remain as relevant and active in our culture as ever.
