Whenever someone asks me what I’m studying I cringe as I manage to squeak out the word — “journalism.” They freeze up, mention something about how they don’t read the newspaper or think the media is dying while criticizing me.
Here’s the kicker, I’m not cringing at journalism, I’m cringing at people who don’t know the difference between a column, an editorial, a review and a news story. I’m also trying to avoid sounding too enthusiastic about online journalism around people in the media who don’t see much use with Web innovation.
And I hate feeling that way. Because right now journalism is the most exciting field to enter. Right now we can change the face of journalism and how it serves and interacts with the audience. Instead of fearing or ignoring the Web like a lot of news organizations do, the new guard of journalism can work with the tools to do what journalists do best — tell engaging stories.
As Paul Bradshaw blogged about two weeks ago, there’s a lot of room for jolly journalists, despite the angry ones and their happy brethren. Jolly journalists don’t just like their jobs, they’re down right elated over the new opportunities the Web sets in their laps including my personal favorites:
The death of churnalism. News is consumed in such a way that commoditized wire content can be delivered at zero marginal cost. There’s no need for rewriting. Journalists can focus on fact digging and analysis.
My god! Yes, it’s true, the Web has enabled journalists to focus on producing new content instead of endlessly turning out copy that is nothing more than rehashed releases.
Be the paperboy. That’s actually better than it sounds: As a journalist, you can now also take care of the distribution of your content - and decide whether you want it to be an article, a blog post, a video, a podcast or whatever.
The new methods and practices of distribution can get the story to the reader in the way that best suits the piece. Is that story about a new tax affecting local businesses better told as a straight written piece? Or would it be better off as a podcast or video of people affected or part of the issue? With the tools avaiable to journalists, it’s up to you.
Write what you want and build a personal brand. Your editor doesn’t like what you have to say? Start a blog and post it there - if it’s interesting and well written, the world will notice.
Ahh, the best for last. Personal branding is the key to successful journalism in the 21st century. Instead of relying on the brand of a newspaper that can change (and as the blogosphere has judged, changed poorly), journalists create their own identities via personal sites, blogs, social media … you name it.
It’s all about innovation. Fearing change isn’t bad. That fear can lead you to be more cautious and thoughtful but if you let it keep the excitement level down, you’re not going to be jolly. Heck you probably won’t even be happy.
But me? I love change. Granted it’s scary. It’s also pretty hard. But I don’t want to be another person in the angry journalist line, pushing the post number closer to 10,000. I may fall on my face but when I pick myself up all I’ll do is grin.
1 Comment
June 24, 2008 at 2:57 pm
Well said
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