With technology constantly evolving, journalists have the challenging task of keeping up with the Internet, Twitter, blogging and podcasting.
The National Press Club organized a forum featuring a panel of local journalism professionals who discussed how the future of the news industry hinges upon old-fashioned ethics.
The Nov. 6 forum held at the Salt Lake City Public Library was one of 35 taking place across the country to celebrate the NPC’s 100-year anniversary.
And it comes at the right time.
As Internet and fast, updated news becomes the norm in the news world, journalists worldwide are worried about their job security and the future of the industry.
“(Journalists) are concerned where the news industry is headed and how to protect its core rights,” said Gil Klein, former NPC president.
With the advancement of technology, competing with other news organizations for the best Web site and information can be expensive. Many print publications are experiencing a major loss in revenue and newsrooms are cutting back their staffs, Klein said.
Also, more people are turning to the Internet for their news and some publications have decided to eliminate a paper edition altogether.
The Christian Science Monitor, a newspaper published by the First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston, recently moved exclusively to an online format because of low revenue.
“This could be the golden age of journalism if we could just find a way to pay for it,” Klein said. While the evolution of the news industry might bring some challenges, it also brings some exciting innovations and opportunities, especially for students. Members of the forum expressed that students play an important part in the future of journalism, because they have the opportunity to learn firsthand about slideshow presentations and recorded interviews that will make them competitive when they enter the job market.
“Students will be re-inventing journalism,” Klein said.
The forum urged students to remember that although technology is advancing and making reporting easier, old-fashioned ethics still apply.
“Don’t underestimated how important the old way of looking at (ethics) is to your future,” said Con Psarras, news director at KSL.
The forum highlighted that ethical journalism has always been a top priority for journalists and the advancement of the industry should not change that fact. Ethics are just as important now as they were a hundred years ago, maybe even more so as technology is making plagiarism easier and objectivity more dificult, Klein said.
“(Journalism’s) core mission has to remain the same,” said Ted Pease, former chair of the department of journalism at Utah State University.