Dean Lynch's Talk

Dean Lynch's lecture on independent media on Tuesday was an interesting and comprehensive exploration into the various forms of online journalism that helped address many of my doubts about the changes to the news media.

I had initially been somewhat apprehensive of the rise of online journalism for a few reasons. Part of this was due to the belief that it would give rise to bloggers with little experience or training who believed that they could do better reporting than the media- although such people often criticized the media as "liberally biased" and ignored the true flaws- and people would stop believing in traditional journalistic values. The prospect of the rise of journalists who worked without pay concerned me, as I hope to do journalism for a livingI was also somewhat concerned about the possibility of having to change jobs, partly due to having to move and potentially not having a salary for a while, and partly because I hope to become a news editor, and having to switch jobs would hinder proving myself to my employers and learning how the newsroom operates.

However, the talk reminded me of how beneficial the Internet could be. After hearing about many of the ways Internet sites helped reporters, I remembered that I often did background research for my stories over the Internet, and came to appreciate how it could be useful for all journalists. Seeing the many ways internet journalism could add new dimensions to the story through multimedia, like simulating how airport security checks bags, in addition to what I learned in Digital Journalism Workshop last year, convinced me that even traditional media must make use of the Internet in order to survive. Dean Lynch's comment about how Walter Cronkite told it "how it was" surprised me, as I found it surprising how an entire generation could rely on a single news source. I came to the conclusion that the traditional media could benefit from citizen journalists watching over them, providing alternatives and reporting on subjects they do not, although this is partly dependent on media consumers exercising good judgment.

The Internet has not only provided a new means of transmitting news, but it, more than ever before, has forced traditional news media to reconsider how they do journalism. It also forces journalists to develop new skills and change how they do their work in order to remain able to deliver the most in-depth and effective reporting possible. While such a change can be daunting to journalists, if they are able to come to terms with it and adapt, they will realize that despite its challenges, it offers many new opportunities that will not only benefit the readers, but also benefit them.