The 20th Century was the age of journalism with the majority of people getting their news from what is now called legacy media. In major cities healthy competition existed between multiple newspapers, TV and radio stations. However, all that changed as news consumers shifted to online sources. Although the Internet seems to have given us more choice, in reality there are fewer independent companies performing traditional news gathering and more consolidation. In my town there are two daily papers owned by the same company.
The Internet has created a fragmented audience with more and more people looking for online news that aligns with their own ideological views. Information that contradicts those views can often be dismissed. This has resulted in more polarization and even misinformation.
That’s not to say that it was all roses prior to the introduction of the Internet. The media was dominated by men and there wasn’t a lot of diversity. Today there is much more opportunity and more smaller publications catering to different populations, but the steady unionized job is essentially a thing of the past.
With so many people getting their news through social media and other online sources, is the practice of journalism still relevant in today’s world?
Today traditional newspapers, radio and TV outlets have pivoted to focusing more on their websites. Some newspapers and magazines have even closed their print products altogether and are only producing media for online. Unfortunately for many publications, change came too late and they shut down entirely.
One problem is that people are spending more time online and by the time a print publication arrives at their door, the information inside it is out of date. As well, with all the time they spend online, they may be suffering from information fatigue.
News publications have started to “gate” their content by charging for online subscriptions, but people are still finding it easy to get the same or similar content for free.
Another problem is that advertisers have discovered that they can target their audience more efficiently by investing in online ads. Unless the publication specifically targets their ideal audience, they may feel it isn’t worth the money. Although news organizations also sell online ads, typically the cost is much lower than it would be in a print edition.
According to Forbes, weekday newspaper subscriptions declined from 63.2 million in 1990 to 24.3 million in 2020.
In response to the ease of publishing on the Internet, some new organizations were formed such as HuffPost, Vice and the Vox. However, there has been speculation that this business model is also struggling, and Vice has even filed for bankruptcy.
How Can You Stand Out as a Journalist These Days?
Despite the downturn in the media, being a journalist is still a worthwhile career. There are many things that trained journalists can offer that others cannot.
Objectivity: Most of the content produced online is opinionated (including even this blog!). Good journalists can set aside their opinions for the sake of a story.
Research: Yes, a lot of bloggers do research but they mostly rely on things that have already been published. Did you notice I quoted Forbes earlier? Very few actually go out and conduct interviews and original research. This problem is expected to get worse as AI is capable of mashing together everything already published online into a flavourless content soup.
Time: It takes a long time to get a good story. Often you may even need to write a series to truly get to the heart of an issue. The more time a writer has, the deeper they can dig. Despite the constant churn of the online news cycle, many outlets still invest in longer investigative pieces. Even if they are crunched for time, journalists can continue to follow the same issues over the course of their careers establishing a long list of sources and background information.
Accuracy: Journalists are trained to fact-check and their information is usually carefully edited before being published. Given staffing cuts at many publications, effort and results may vary.
Independence: There was a website owned by a newspaper chain in my town that, in addition to ads, also made money through merchandise and affiliate marketing. The problem with selling T-shirts is that it blurs the line between information and advertising. Additionally, affiliate marketing is a practice whereby content creators drop links to paid products directly in their content. This practice rewards promotional content. Many bloggers are doing the same things in order to earn income because ad revenues are low in the online space. On the other hand, the traditional media attempts to draw a firm line between editorial and advertising. Again, real life results may vary.
Watchdog: The traditional media likes to think of itself as a watchdog over corporate and government institutions. The ability of the media to provide oversight is an important part of democracy.
Less clickbait: Have you ever clicked on a headline that didn’t deliver what you expected? Writing headlines for the Internet is an art form that is based on getting the most people possible to click. In traditional media, the headline must accurately reflect the content of the story. Additionally, they want to publish stories people want to read, but they don’t disregard issues solely based on the estimated number of clicks. The editor of the T-shirt merchandising newspaper said he didn’t cover gallery openings because they didn’t get enough clicks online. This suggests that in an online news-based society the role of the arts in public discourse may be kicked to the curb.
Given all of the benefits, how can you sell your importance in the modern era?
- Learn to set aside your personal views and report each story accurately and fairly.
- Don’t be afraid to ask questions and demand information. Avoid relying too heavily on what others have already published on the same subject.
- When you do get data and information from the Internet, perform your own analysis or develop your own angles.
- Continue to follow up on your stories and develop relationships with sources.
- Become multi-talented. Chances are that most journalism jobs today will ask you to provide social media, video, podcasting, infographic design and other online skills.
If you are interested in learning more about becoming a journalist without a degree, check out the ebook. We walk you through writing and pitching your first news story and feature story.
