The Internet Revolution's Spread on Journalism

In the article, “The Reconstruction of American Journalism” by Leonard Downie, Jr. and Michael Schudson, Downie and Schudson report the dilemma at hand of the newspaper industry declining. As the world becomes more internet savvy, the decline paper markets are making it hard for newspapers across America. The paper that gets hit the hardest is the local paper which is quickly on its way of becoming something of the past. With the new age in technology of having information at your fingertips within a few clicks, Journalists have to find new tools in the trade to stay in business. However, with the use of the internet, journalists are taking advantage and changing the news world one step at a time in expanding audiences.


When finding out what is happening in the world, all you have to most likely do is click the internet to open up and pops up yahoo, msn, a.o.l, and etc. and you’ll know what it is going on in the world without a cent. This cuts walking outdoors in the early morning to the local coffee shop to get your coffee and newspaper without spilling the coffee on the first 3 pages in your way home; this being if you don’t pay for a subscription. The world has changed into a technology based world; therefore journalism has to change with it. Downie and Schudson wrote that “journalism changed, sometimes dramatically, as the nation changed” (4), so with this technology revolution the news will need to change like it has done before. It seems as though the problem that is faced however is the loss of income in news online. Online is mostly a free tool so writers wouldn’t be able to make any income. What some have tried to do is charge a fee for news websites, basically the transition of instead of receiving your publication on the front porch you’ll find it in your email. However, most don’t want to pay a fee when it can be accessed for free off other websites. Therefore, it is either the dismissal of newspapers with a new age in online news or newspapers have to think of something quick. The solution is to change, which newspapers are trying to do to succeed.

Most Americans think of why they would buy a newspaper everyday when they have the news with one click; however what most do not know is the source they are reading from came most likely from a newspaper report. Personally, and I do not know all the legal issues, but I think there might be a possibility of instead of charging the consumer, newspapers charge the websites to use their information to make a profit off their work. With this out of mind though, the news still has to change for the world we live in today. Although interviews cannot be replaced, the research at hand can be an extreme advantage in resourcing information that is fresh and precise. There are also the social networks of blogs and etc. being used in the journalism fields. All leading into a tech savvy age and change.

Although some might like the old newspaper, after all in America it does have its history. Nevertheless, like how the world changes, journalism has to change with it and it seems in the article provided and seen through what it is happening within a first glance the change seems to be happening and is indeed on its way of an impacting transformation.


Article found at:
http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/cs/ContentServer/jrn/1212611716674/page/1212611716651/JRNSimplePage2.htm