There is no doubt that journalism is a career in transition. Many speak of a new journalism emerging, driven by a new uprising of online media that has encroached on territory traditionally controlled by print. There are those who preach of the print apocolypse, who spread fear and doom throughout the industry. They cry that print media must repent for its monopolizing ways before the coming of the online rapture. Others, with a seemingly more rational view, argue that this is not an end, but merely a new beginning. As traditional print cannot dream of competeing with the sheer speed and efficiency of online sources, there are still print loyalists who are certain that in the face of adversity, print will blossom anew and narrow their focus to a more editorial and feature aimed approach, where rather than fighting to get the story out first, print will compete to get the story out best.
However, in this heated debate between print death and print supremacy, there seems to be a lack of discussion around those who create the news, those referring to journalists. How will they fair in the face of a career in flux? At first glance, one could argue, not well. Professional newsrooms are cutting staff left and right. Where once a large event would warrant an entire team, a single journalist, armed with a camera, voice recorder, and notepad is expected to cover the entire story solo. However, one must remember to focus on the long-term, rather then view these changes (which have occurred over a relatively short span of time) in short-sighted terms. It is in my belief that this the dawning of a new era for journalists. As bloggers lose some of the stigma around their work, and as more and more gain respect and credibility, we are seeing a transition from the cold style of traditional news writing, to a return to the time of the story teller.
Journalists do not sit around dreaming of getting their Pulitzer for the inverted pyramid on a story about a robbery in a local corner store; on the contrary, the journalist dreams of chasing down wild leads and catching a rare glimpse into some of the darkest corners of our own society. Journalists want to tell stories, and be allowed to share them in a way that is enticing and compelling. With the fall of corporate monopolies who controlled print media, journalists could finally be allowed to be as expressive as they have longed to be, and be allowed to demonstrate the art form that is true journalism.
