Explosive development of information and communication technologies during the last decade is changing newspapers and affecting their profitability. But it is not going to kill them just like development of television failed to kill radio, says a majority of dozens of distinguished American journalists and academics that World Press Institute (WPI) fellows have talked to during the first half of their program in 2008.
But the crisis of journalism in US threatens to seriously hurt not only newspapers but all the media, including the new ones. There are two major symptoms of this crisis experts say.
First is the decrease of depth in reporting stories and covering events. Choosing the subject of interest to the media has become influenced much more by pure economical criteria (in order to bring fast profits to the new corporate owners of media) than by the public interest. This results with more and more media in US becoming the yellow- tabloid like.
The second symptom is political polarization of the media. Some of the experts say that it was always possible to see the color of the political party through the reports of American media. But the majority agree that it is becoming more and more obvious which media are left and which are right oriented.
Pulitzer awarded journalist and former WPI executive director John Ullmann reminded WPI fellows of the very essence of being a journalist. "It is not the editor, it is not the publisher- IT IS THE PEOPLE WE ARE WRITTING FOR!!!" hollered Ullmann while lecturing about the ethics of journalism in his distinguished and engaging style.
Just like the newspapers- quality, in-depth and objective journalism will not die despite the hard times as long as there is one reporter who doesn't forget who he/she is really writing for.
WHO DO YOU WRITE FOR?!!!- Ullmann- or some others like him- will keep asking the students and young journalists. FOR THE PEOPLE!!!! They will howl back in the Marine Corps style.
AND YOU SHOULD NEVER FORGET IT!!!
Journalists do not write for the "people" - nor should they.
Unless, that is, they want journalism to die.
Even the Pulitzer prize winners sometimes get it wrong. Worse happens when they preach it to established journalists, patronizing them and making fun of the things one should not make fun of.
True, some first-year journalism students probably must be reminded that it is the audience that their piece is addressed to, but just as with all rules that we learn at school, this one should be discarded with experience.
There is no such thing as people.
Worst attrocities in the history of mankind were committed in the name of the "people". Worst journalism is also done in the same name.
It is precisely the tabloids that claim - with a fair amount of success - that they write "for the people", choosing topics that "people" care about.
But somehow we respect only the media that set the agenda rather than follow it. They write or broadcast not to "people" - but to their audiences. They do not patronize their audiences and only simplify things to a certain extent.
It is precisely the good editors and publishers that demand good journalism from reporters, not "people". And it is the knowledge of their audience and a sense of responsibility that drives those editors and publishers.
Audiences are different, and in every case they certainly constitute only part of the "people". Investigative journalism can be published, or in-depth reports broadcast only to certain audiences.
"People" don't really care about it.
Yes, journalists should make stories look attractive enough not turn people off. But it is also up to the audiences to be responsible for what media they choose.
They can choose the best and the bravest - or they can choose those that "work for the people".