Journalism Students Answer Tough Questions About the Future of Media and Public Relations
Students at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism recently accepted my challenge to answer 25 big questions for the future of journalism and PR.
In an April post, I asked what’s next for media — questions like:
- Is the blogosphere an adequate substitute for journalism?
- Does the decline of newspapers matter?
- Should bloggers adhere to journalistic standards?
- How does the changing face of journalism affect PR?
- Will TV news programs suffer the same fate as many newspapers have in the past 12-18 months?
Professor Serena Carpenter asked her online media students to weigh in on the post as a Day 1 class assignment. I was delighted to discover yesterday morning that students at SUNY Oswego in New York (minutes from where I grew up!) are also responding to the post.
There’s some good debate and room for more. Join the debate and contribute to these students’ education. Here are some highlights:
juliaannawb:
“While there certainly is the convenience of pulling up information anytime you like on your computer or phone, people also enjoy the format of TV news. It’s comforting to have the same person telling you what has happened day after day, it almost becomes a conversation the more familiar you get with a reporter. I also think that with the high-stress life people feel they have, they enjoy having information given to them instead of seeking it themselves via an online article or newspaper article.”
dayneventrone:
“I think it is a generational thing and as the years go by, more and more people will get there video news online…I think we will see a steady decline of people using television for news as our online media progresses.”
Danee Garone:
“What first gave rise to the consistent and reliable methods and standards employed by newsrooms will again influence new media such as blogs and news websites.
Organizations and people who adhere to a consistent and controlled models succeed because this approach breeds familiarity and trust. A news blog, for instance, that shows signs of being edited by multiple people for content, accuracy and/or objectivity will more often succeed in drawing serious and trusting readers.”
astolarz1:
“Although some blogs are focused on social commentary and personal beliefs, I believe there are blogs that can be focused on truth-finding.”
gardeniacoleman:
“Because of what’s happened to newspapers recently I have changed my focus to Broadcast/PR. It’s really a shame not many people read the newspaper anymore…I believe it’s important for journalists in training to be skilled in all areas of media. All this technology is a stretch for me but at the same time very exciting.”
jacklynangel:
“I believe bloggers should adhere to journalistic standards when publishing postings. A blogger may not necessarily be a trained journalist but the obvious standards should be considered. Standards such as truth are not hard to consider when publishing information.”
Jake:
“What industry is the next domino to fall after newspapers? Television! …With online services such as Hulu and Boxee…I feel that broadcast television in its current, traditional format is–or will soon be–on the decline…For the sake of survival, I think studios and networks must begin to realize the inevitability of their content ending up on the internet in one form or another and begin to work with advertisers to develop new and innovative ways to monetize online viewership.”
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Scott Hepburn is a veteran PR and marketing professional. He blogs here about marketing, PR, advertising, journalism and social media.