#deathofjournalism

[jobluemann]

[The Washington Post] Regina Martínez murder: Slain journalist’s story portrays violent era in Mexico - Washington Post

Regina Martínez murder: Slain journalist’s story portrays violent era in Mexico - Washington Post

[editorsusan]

Four stories tall, loud as a locomotive, and with at least as many moving parts, The Boston Globe’s printing presses on Morrissey Boulevard will come to a stop next month.

I love this business in a very different way than most of my coworkers love it, but still ... I do love it, and it kills me to say so because it means I love something that so clearly does not love me back. And being what it is, it never could love me ... or any of us. Still ... there's something incredibly sad about that.

[truoj-blog]

Generational Shifts in Media: Searchlights and Sunglasses Ch. 1

The book Searchlights and Sunglasses by Eric Newtonraises many interesting points while presenting many thoughts and ideas through words and infographics. This book which consists of 5 chapters summarizes the field of journalism's history as well as the upheavals and challenges that the digital age is causing. This post will be focused on the first of the five chapters. 

"Every American generation has grown up with a different form of media in ascendance." - Eric Newton

It was very surprising for me to see a five year old with an iPhone. I guess that is how every older generation feels when the younger generation behaves or interacts with the technologies of their time. 

These societal changes have affected journalism in ways that many believe will eventually lead to the death of mediums such as the newspaper.

Newton believes that journalism should be evolving with the digital age instead of trying to merely survive it. The digital age brings with it many tools with which to enhance the field of journalism as well as disseminating it to the public. 

Digital tools such as spreadsheets allow journalists to save time in organizing data; infographics allow audiences to better understand topics, and everything is share-able on a scale that increases exponentially as time progresses. However, Newton believes that the potential scale of news dissemination is not reflected in the real world.

News and information ... are as important to communities as good schools, safe streets or clean air. Journalism, it says, does not need saving so much as it needs creating.

Newton stresses that creation will not happen until the education system changes first. 

The hard part is ahead of us: that is, involving every aspect of our communities, governments, nonprofits, traditional media, schools, universities, libraries, churches, social groups — and, especially, citizens themselves.

The employment landscape of journalism is changing rapidly, and although certain fields of journalism are experiencing rapid atrophy, this phenomenon does not apply to the profession as a whole. 

There will always be jobs for journalists in the digital age, and as Hodding Carter the third says, " This is the most exciting time ever to be a journalist — if you are not in search of the past."