That news delivery has changed dramatically over the course of the last 15 years is obvious. We’ve seen print media like your daily newspaper shrink or go away, due in part to the electronic delivery that consumers of news seem to prefer. But there’s still news.
[R]ecent dips as a natural reaction to negative publicity about the news industry. Rosenstiel noted that media outlets have extensively documented the crises of journalism employment for years, causing high school students to wonder whether studying the profession will result in a steady career.
“This [study], to some extent, probably reflects the fact that the economic model that subsidized news for much of the last century has been disrupted in ways that are well-documented and publicized,” he said. “If you’re a young person, you’re wondering, ‘Will I have a job?’ and, ‘How much money will I make?’”
When journalism and the way it is taught morphed from being an objective, aggressive, media watchdog (that dog died) to being a fraternity hell-bent on “doing” good, that was the beginning of the end of journalism as it used to be. This accounts for all the “negative publicity” about the news industry.
I’ve not attended a journalism school. So I don’t know how they teach their craft. I do know what people say about why they want to be a journalist. And it is always they “want to make a difference.” This causes a natural conflict for journalism schools. Doing your job, or making a difference?
In a sense, journalism schools have shot themselves in the foot. Maybe even in the head.
Link: Journalism colleges weigh future amid two years of enrollment declines.
