What caused the failing newspaper? A podcast explores this....
Many people have different ideas about why the newspaper is failing. There is no doubt that the Internet was a large player in the decline of the daily newspaper era as we have known it for more than a century. A huge concern - what do journalism students do, and furthermore, can journalism students survive? One of the top journalism schools in the country, Columbia, has been exploring this and has something to say:
The defining nature of a newspaper "has nothing to do with ink and paper, but is instead its ability to provide a needed service: low-cost, responsible fact gathering and interpretation, "says Bryant. "As they recreate themselves on the Web, traditional newspaper companies have one great asset over newer Internet news providers. They are the brand names. They have credibility with readers. To maintain that credibility, these Internet journalists have to resist the temptation to be first in print. It is more important for them to validate, analyze, and interpret the news. Like their print predecessors, online newspapers have to be responsible gatekeepers of information."
I wanted to hear more about this topic, so I interviewed John Harrington, a journalist that has some incredible insight on this "crisis" as he deems it. Here, I have included the interview. There are some really great things going on, so have a listen if you would like....