This week we take a look at Chapter 8, News.
Before I began teaching I spent more than a decade toiling in newsrooms, and still work as contributor to the Flathead Beacon (you can read one of my columns here if you're interested). I consider news something near and dear to my heart. I care about it, I think it plays a vital role in the well being of society, and I am saddened by the declining state of news, especially newspapers.
Technology has created great change for news, but there are some glimmers of hope on the horizon. Take a look at this report, from The Pew Center's Project for Excellence in Journalism, The State of the News Media 2012. A couple of interesting points are discussed. One, people are consuming more news than ever these days, they're just consuming it on smart phones and iPads rather than inky newsprint. Two, electronic tablets are generating an increased interest in long-form journalism (Damn yuppies are sitting around in coffee shops reading the Liberal Media on their iPads!). Also, the report hints at a technology company such as Facebook buying up an old media war horse such as the Washington Post.
The idea is purely speculative (at this point) but I think its intriguing. And that's our topic for the week. Facebook buys one of the Old Gray Ladies (Old Gray Lady usually refers to the NY Times, but I sometimes apply it to the LA Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal as well) and infuses the newsroom with resources (money) because it has determined that good, solid journalism is a great service to build into its social media community.
What do you think? Post your comments by Thursday.
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It is very interesting that people are consuming more news. Unfortunatly the purchases of historic newspapers by facebook is a sure sign that print is on it's way out. Even worse it is questionable whether this new electronic revolution will cause economic instability within the news market. Also in reccent times it is apparent that people are more intrested in reading quick newsflashes rather that reading full length analytical news articals. It will be unfortunate if the news of the future becomes dumbed down because of the electronic age.
ReplyDeleteIt is very interesting that people are consuming more news. Unfortunatly the purchases of historic newspapers by facebook is a sure sign that print is on it's way out. Even worse it is questionable whether this new electronic revolution will cause economic instability within the news market. Also in reccent times it is apparent that people are more intrested in reading quick newsflashes rather that reading full length analytical news articals. It will be unfortunate if the news of the future becomes dumbed down because of the electronic age.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too surprised that people are consuming more news than ever with today's technology that is able to acquire news so easily because that's how today's society is. People want to get their news, and they want to get it the easiest way as possible. I'm sure a lot of people in today's world don't want to go out of their way to go to a newsstand and get the paper, or they don't want to pay for the newspaper to be delivered to them, but instead they can load it up on their iPad with just a few clicks. Whether this is a good or bad thing going forward is a different issue. The ink newspaper business is dying and will likely continue to die in the years ahead.
ReplyDeleteIt is not unexpected that we are just as hungry for news as we have ever been. The format that we get news information though is currently changing. This change of direct accessibility is meant to adapt to an individual’s desire for a variety of information. The majority of individuals are accessing information online. The fact is that people want the news instantly and also with minimal effort. My concern is that we might be compromising quality journalism for instant gratification. It does not seem like the mainstream way of looking at news clips on the internet facilitates in depth understanding of significant issues that face our society. I’m not sure what will happen with the purchase of historic papers by facebook, but I don’t believe it is a good thing. I believe it could be a further degradation of the news industry. I would be surprised if this purchase infuses credible journalism. I would expect that credible journalism might be become less trustworthy. One thing is sure, “The Times they are a changing”. Technology is evolving the way we receive news information.
ReplyDeleteI also found it interesting that people are absorbing more news through their iPhones and iPads, yet not surprising since the convenience factor is undeniable and very relevant. I think the convergence of news and popular social networks/venues is a good business idea, however it enables the increasing gap between news and newspapers.
ReplyDeleteI was surprised when they said that journalism is going to be something that we need more of in the future. This is great!! This could easily inspire someone to go to school to be a journalist. Knowing that there is a need for it sparks creativity and quality even if you don't think that you have it.
ReplyDeleteI do think that local newspapers will be heading out. The main papers like USA today and the New York Times wil probably stay in circulation. I wouldn't be surprised if the Daily Interlake soon went totally digital. It kind of seems like the normal thing to do these days.
It's a great idea, but I had a bit of trouble visualizing this one. I'd say if Facebook (or any other internet company) were to buy a major journalism outlet, they would use and distribute the content in an entirely new way.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the philosophy of an online media distributor, you may find it completely contrasts that of the Old Media. This essential difference lies in the contrast between Mass Media and Web Media techniques. While it would value the input of a big-name journalist, I question whether Facebook would value said input much more than that of any of its other users.
That said, it is not out of the question for Facebook to purchase a big media company and integrate it in an entirely new (and unpredictable) way.
As a someone pursuing a journalism degree I think it is GREAT that internet is becoming the new face of news and media. There is no doubt that at some point printed newspapers will become obsolete. While many traditional journalists don't like the idea of all media becoming internet driven, I feel it is an exciting change. There are more freedoms to writing on the internet and you can reach a far wider audience.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if a social network bought a Gray Lady then the younger generation would actually have a clue what's going on in the world. I think it's a great idea. Most teens these days still think we're searching for Saddam and bin Laden. I know I get my news via my iPhone. It'd be nice to see the convergence of news with social networking. Epic win for everyone.
ReplyDelete