Journalism, the World and the Future
Discussion of the future of journalism from GMU
The other day I posted a couple of notes about the new Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism report on new and old media.
I saw in that two key issues that journalists and their bosses should be paying attention to.
- New media depends on old media — or at least good old fashioned journalism.
- People are interested in international news but are getting it from non-US sources.
Without good old fashioned journalism — multiple sources, checking facts, providing context — the news content of the Internet becomes opinion pieces instead of journalism.
The numbers speak for themselves. U.S. newspapers and broadcasts make up three-quarters of the items linked by American bloggers.
Web only generated material being passed on accounts for less than 1 percent.
So there is a value to professional journalism. The issue is finding a way to get paid for it. And that is what has to be addressed quickly.
On the other point — international news — the survey showed that foreign news — actual non-USA news items, rather than US foreign policy or military issues — was the second most blogged item. And yet people largely depended on non-US media outlets for this news.
There is an interest in news from other countries. Some of it frivolous. But most of it useful to understanding what is going on in the world.
The interconnection of local and global economies and societies no longer gives us the option of remaining isolated between two oceans. There are always local links in an international story and an international link to a local story. It just takes a reporter and editor with a view that extends beyond the city limits to see the connections.
There are always plenty of stories on campus for student journalists to cover. And a few of those stories can be pretty exciting. But they are still campus-centered and often have little impact beyond the campus.
And yet there are many campus organizations that deal with issues that are beyond the campus borders and even beyond our national borders. Maybe these groups will get a write up for a publicity campaign about this issue or that. And that is all well and good.
But why not look into some of the issues raised by these groups and see if there is a town-gown connection or even a larger global connection?
When people think about trafficking in persons (TIP), the most common view is most likely people tied to sweat shops or child prostitution. And usually the images are of this happening in some other country.
Sadly enough, trafficking takes place in the USA and it affects people on a very local level.
This morning I got a Tweet from Adam Savage (of Mythbusters fame. I am a follower. Wish I was a friend.) about a case in Washington, D.C., of two women obviously caught up in a trafficking situation.
(Here is my discussion at my personal blog site: Trafficking is a local and international issue
What struck me in the responses to the initial query was the number of places in the States designed to help people IN the States trapped in this practice.
I am sure there is a group on the Mason campus dedicated to helping people trapped in a trafficking situation. Maybe instead of just talking to the campus activists, the campus reporter could go out of his/her way and talk to some of the local groups in DC and NoVa also involved in the issue. I will bet that reporter will find that trafficking is not just something happening someplace else.
(Full disclosure: My wife spends a lot of time on this issue in her role as the #2 in the US embassy in Brazil. And she has directed the embassy staff to pay close attention to the issue.)
p.s. The issue is so important, that even the Armed Forces Network — the broadcaster service for the US military — runs PSAs educating members of the US military how to identify a trafficking situation and what to do about it.
The DC SPJ website (oops, almost wrote “web site”) has a new piece on events that changed the way we do journalism.
Well worth a read.
Transformational moments in new media history
I just posted an item on the DC SPJ blog site talking about Live Labs’ latest cool item: PIVOT.
The posting includes a video from PIVOT’s developer Gary Flake.
You should look at it, if for no other reason, it will introduce you to what appears to be a great way to get better context for your stories.
Digging out data and making sense of it
One of the great things about the taxes we pay is that they fund a lot of research. And it is all “free” to us. (After all we did pay taxes, so is it really free?)
The U.S. Census Bureau has a lot of information to add facts and figures to any story.
Summer time is when a lot of people move.
And, true to form, the Census Bureau has some great data that can get you started on understanding the annual migration of Americans.
Story ideas: Summer time also means moving time. Some stats to help the story
One of the great things about the Census Bureau people as well is how willing they are to help you find the data you need and help you understand the data.
Give ’em a call or drop them an e-mail.
