Buzzmachine.com

“… journalism is evolving – at long last – and actually growing, and that’s what makes this such an exciting time to get into the news business (Guardian Column: Teaching Journalism)…” Mr. Jarvis makes a good point. It is a great “time to get into the news business.” However, it’s also a terrifying “time to get into the news business.” Being able to write doesn’t count anymore. Being able to string four words together doesn’t matter anymore. As long as you know how to write in HTML text, put together video on a website, use graphics effectively, you’ll have to beat newspapers off with a stick, especially if you know how to write too.

I think that Jeff Jarvis has a different opinion than I do. I believe that newspapers will always be used by some part of the population as a source for their news. There’s something about reading a newspaper in the morning while drinking a cup of coffee, or spending the morning on a Sunday, reading each page of the usually huge Sunday editions. Mr. Jarvis sees the newspaper industry moving into the internet age and sees companies putting a stronger focus on their websites as opposed to their newspaper. Many of the articles on his website, www.buzzmachine.com, are focused on the newer side of journalism and what journalism is becoming. I think he knows better than most where journalism is heading because he is involved in so many different parts of the news industry.

Recently, he wrote an article about a staff meeting he attended at the Guardian newspaper. “Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of the Guardian, told the staff at his newspaper that now ‘all journalists work for the digital platform’ and that they should regard ‘its demands as preeminent’” (The Web is Preeminent). In other words, the print piece of their operation is now taking a back seat to the internet piece of the operation. In my post about the future of journalism, many people believe that there could be a great future if newspaper outlets will use the internet to allow a reader to dig deeper into a story they read in that day’s newspaper. I really think that Rusbridger has it wrong. I think that there could be a great balance between the two different types of news sources, as long as editors and corporate officers understand the great possibilities the pair of news outlets can open up if they put them together correctly.

Another interesting development Jarvis wrote about from the Guardian was their proposed “Draft Principles of 24/7 Working.” In this list of guidelines for their writers, they contradict themselves numerous times. They begin by writing:
- “Web users expect to read about news when it happens.”
- "Our website is crucial to our digital strategy and to the future of the
Guardian & Observer.”
- “The international purpose and reach of the Guardian & Observer cannot be
achieved by current publication schedules.”

However, they then continue on to say:
- "In any circumstances where speed might compromise trust, we should place a
greater emphasis on trust.”
- “We recognize that much of our best journalism takes time, patience and
diligent research.”
- “24/7 means we publish material around the clock across seven days rather than
(as at present) for 16 hours a day across five days.”
- “It means publishing more of our news according to the demands of the web
rather than the rhythms and expectations of a newspaper.”
- “Our production processes must reflect the needs of the web (e.g. the use of
web-friendly headlines as well as newspaper headlines, links, tagging, key
wording and so on.)”
- “All journalists across Guardian, GU and Observer will be expected to work
according to the above principles” (The Web is Preeminent).

The editors and powers that be are telling their employees that speed is essential, and that the web site must be the best is can be and have all of the most recent news developments or else they won’t have a job because the company will go bankrupt. However, in the next breath, they seem to say that speed isn’t essential because trust and having an accurate story is more important than having it on the web first. They are also telling their employees that they’ll no longer be working even remotely normal hours, as the newsroom will have to be staffed (either in person or by telecommuting) continuously and there will always be someone working because they have to be publishing 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, throughout the entire list, the company is making it very clear that the newspaper has now taken a backseat to the website and that if someone doesn’t like that, they can find somewhere else to work. So the employees are supposed to be continuously filing stories, as quick as they can after the news event happens, but must be accurate while their editor is breathing down their neck because the story must be posted quickly, and the newspaper is not nearly as important as the website. It seems like they are looking for a newspaper-type writing style, with accuracy and trust being held as important, but the news has to be posted now, which seems to cancel out some of the ability of their to be accurate, since mistakes are almost promised when someone is rushed.

There are pros and cons to new face of journalism. Unfortunately, times are changing. I think that the old school idea of a reporter who goes around with their pad and maybe a camera and asks questions of everyone they can find at the scene is gone. Now, it’s all emails, phone calls, and the internet. Something that Jarvis said really resounded to me. He said, “The real lesson in all of this, I think, is not about tools, skills, or business forecasting. It is about embracing change, instilling a culture of innovation and experimentation and a willingness to question and try and fail. That is what the news business needs most today” (Guardian Column: Teaching Journalism).