Columbia University-Report On Journalism

http://www.minnpost.com/insideminnpost/2009/10/19/12627/a_modest_proposal_for_federal_funding_of_journalism

http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/cs/ContentServer/jrn/1212611716674/page/1212611716651/JRNSimplePage2.htm

Journalism has played a significant role in society since Gutenberg invented the first printing press. This is true because many people rely on the news to give them information of what is occurring in the world. They depend on writers to give strictly factual information that is not fabricated. For many years, newspapers has been the most popular way of relaying the news to the people. People often got a jump start to their day with a coffee in one hand and a newspaper in their other hand. But due to the rapid growth of technology newspapers are being used less and less. This is true because it there are less reporters writing, “Fewer journalists are reporting less news in fewer pages” (Downie and Schudson). Newspapers however are not the only channel of news that is losing its audience. The number of television news viewers has dropped as well. Though these two popular means of news will not be extinct just yet, it will quickly begin to be lost in the sea of news transformation, “Newspapers and television news are not going to vanish in the foreseeable future…but they will play diminished roles in an emerging and still rapidly changing world of digital journalism”(Downie and Schudson).
The transformation of news has raised many questions of concern of whether or not the new form of news will be able to be as affective to its audience as it is now. The most popular solution right now is the internet. This is true because it is faster to put information on the web as opposed to printing it and relaying the news to its audience the next day. It is also easier to access, free, and less money to advertise. However, with this said internet news organizations can not expand without the help of already established news organizations, “credible independent news reporting cannot flourish without news organizations of various kinds, including the print and digital reporting operations of surviving newspapers” (Downie and Shudson).
Regardless of the way news will be transformed it is important that news industries keeps its people informed in a respectful and organized manner, “this is an essential purpose for reporting, along with interpretation, analysis and informed opinion, and advocacy” (Downie and Shudson). Reporters have a significant amount of responsibility with the consideration that they inform the people of what they do not know. It is a job that may seem quite simple but, if not done in an ethical manner can result to dramatic consequences, “reporting is not something to be taken for granted” (Downie and Shudson).
Because of the decline of newspapers, many companies have had to let go of a significant amount of their writers. For example, The Los Angeles Times’ decreased to 600 writers with an original number of 1,100. Due to the dramatic fall of journalists many newspaper circulations have collaborated together to form one newspaper. “Ohio’s eight largest newspapers…have formed the Ohio News Organization” (Downie and Shudson). This is occurring throughout the country In order to preserve print news and their news organization.
The transformation of news will effect not only the news’ companies but also the people. Perhaps it may benefit the people more so than the news organizations because of the faster, cheaper and easily accessible benefits. Despite, what may replace news print and television news the preservation of ethical reporting will still remain the same.


**written for JRN 215