What is the Future of Journalism?

Writing this analysis essay was beyond strenuous. I found myself stuck at a standstill with this paper, picture it, the wide, wide west, a tumbleweed goes by, and it's just this paper and I. Lucky for me, I drew my revolver faster than this paper did and I went a different route than originally planned. In one of my two hour writing frenzies I was completed with the outline, a full eight page, complete with sources and the full MLA nine yards. I was just reading over my completed outline, just a day before it was due, and I supposedly got hacked. One page, two page, disappearing from my laptop screen, being erased word by word. Half of my paper was completely gone. It was so heartbreaking; I was very proud of my writing. Alas, after that I kind of gave up on this paper, but I make many smart points in here. 

 "This is a crisis for our democracy and our society," says Professor Penelope Abernathy. Around eight newspapers shut down in the US a month, making local news nearly nonexistent in those areas. This affects the population on many scales, regional and national, to an extent unlike before. "[W]hile the economic decline in many communities was occurring prior to the rise of news deserts, the loss of a local news organization will leave local residents without the critical information to begin to address those problems" (Abernathy). It also affects minorities far more than the rest of the population, breeding further divisions. There are noteworthy changes happening in the journalism industry that affects not only individuals but also national democracy, leaving the thought of journalism in the next ten years uncertain. With rapid shutdowns in the journalism industry, one can't help but wonder, what is the future of journalism? This paper will be undeniable proof that having limited sources or none at all of the local news severely harms democracy.

Local news outlets further educate small communities on the problems they face in an educated manner. Without reliable news sources, people turn to second-rate news that may be filled with misinformation and propaganda that can negatively affect how people react. Having a true news station that only reports facts in fact-based stories can assure people that what they are reading is well grounded. 

Having a local news program can help further educate communities so that they can make informed decisions concerning their daily life. Whether or not they vote for a certain individual, what events are happening in their community, and what laws they want to be enacted. A 2011 report by the Federal Communications Commission found that local newspapers are the most efficient for getting reliable, focused news to small communities. This is crucial to our democracy because they are the news sources many people rely on for guidance regarding what is happening in the immediate world around them.

At the very least, losing local news worsens the racial, political, and wealth gaps in America. The lack of substantial news helps create a wealth barrier, which is more profound than ever. Deepening the divides between class, race, and sex based on what news is consumed is detrimental to policies and the representatives we elect. Leaning too far to the left, or too far to the right on the political spectrum can make for volatile governmental systems that are uncanny to what we’ve seen in recent years. 

Education has been a notorious barrier to wealth, signaling that access to high-quality information can only be reserved for the monetary elite. This causes programs concerning news, and, simply put, the more money you are willing to spend on your news, the more intelligent it may be. This causes further class separations, leaving poorer classes unable to make the informed decisions that are required for voting with purpose and precision. Democracy's purpose is to reach all aspects of civilization, and serve each individual, not create barriers based on wealth and where you reside. 

“The average poverty rate in a news desert, or a community without a local newspaper, in the U.S. is 16%, compared to the 11% national average, according to the new report from Northwestern’s Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications” (“The local news crisis is deepening America's divides”). This unequivocally proves that misinformation, disinformation, and lack of smart local news have lasting effects on our country’s democracy. Lower income is a major player in the field of the absence of local news, but other difficulties can arise that are equally or more severe, “Depressingly, academic studies show that the local news collapse has likely led to lower voter turnout and bond ratings, and more corruption, waste, air pollution, and corporate crime” (Waldman). These are all terrible outcomes that small towns cannot afford to have happen. It is a constant struggle for the lower classes to achieve proper education to lift themselves out of the poorer class when the information is being paraded above their head.

 “We look at the impact of changes in ‘news diets’ on how people voted at a moment in time when local news was still abundant and when people were still open to engaging in split-ticket voting,” says Angelucci. “We see that if you decrease local news, people engage in straight ticket voting more” (Angelucci). Straight-ticket voting is when a voter makes a check on a ballot that automatically means that they vote for everyone in the selected party. This can be detrimental because instead of focusing on policies and what each individual candidate represents, they instead vote for a whole party that may not align with their views. This can lead to extremists in our government, further dividing our nation and causing unrest in the democratic system. 

In a residential area with limited sources of reliable local news the income for residens plummets, and while there are obviously some other factors at play here, it is not just a coincidence. “The average median annual income of a home in a news desert is $15,000 less than the average U.S. household. Only 20% of adults living in news deserts have bachelor's degrees compared to 38% in the U.S.” (“The local news crisis is deepening America's divides”). This can be several factors, but the main one is that those cities with a well-established local newspaper are wealthier, leading to better living conditions. When living conditions are more accommodating, people can focus more on other things, such as reading and learning about local events, and educating themselves, therefore increasing voter turnout and having a society that better reflects the needs and wants of the people.

Journalism must continue to adapt to changing societal demands to best serve the people. With our ever-changing world and different ways to access crucial media, we need to function as intelligent citizens journalists must adapt. “...many still believe automated journalism will never fully replace journalism” (“The Future of Journalism – The Science Survey”). Many people are fearing that with new tools like ChatGPT and algorithms, the human journalist may go instinct. May I remind you, that is precisely what was thought when radio came on the scene, that it would completely erase print news. When the news station on the telly had its debut people believed that it would replace radio, and with that in mind, this seems like another loop in the endless cycle. Newspapers had to adapt and change how they reach people and how they present the information. 

“…But metropolitan newspapers have not managed the changes, and are a shell of what they used to be” (“The Future of Journalism – The Science Survey”). It is the widespread belief that newspapers have not kept up with the digital age in a beneficial manner, leaving the people who rely on them to suffer. 

Flashy headlines filled with pathos twists and turns whirl you in, taking the reader on a roller coaster of artificial emotion. This can invoke powerful responses that can be good for some things, but not the best way to approach a news article that would be better suited for clear, concise, critical thinking. This adversely affects the individuals who read the articles, leading them to lean towards extremist views that are filled with hefty sentiment, rather than the logical perspective that is befitting to take on the world with a sharp eye.

My opinion on journalism is a personal one, I am majoring in this craft, and the way journalism has changed throughout the years makes it an ever-evolving practice. I do say that I am fearful about the future of it, as everyone is fearful of the unknown. The way journalism used to be is simple compared to where it is now, spreading from ink on paper to magazines, radio, magazines, telly shows, and most recently, the internet. Due to this, journalism degree-seeking students must learn how to navigate the world through new technologies and incorporate them into their careers. It is always changing and we as the new frontiers of this field must take on the respectability that the journalism profession needs. It is easy to use ‘clickbait’ (which is a term for sometimes false, over-glamorized to get more views on your story) but it is far better to use real facts that encourage a society that works through its faults with poise and reputability than to have misinformation and disinformation plague our thoughts and political systems.

Journalism has come a long way, molding and changing to technological advances and what society wants to consume. With this, panic may ensue, wondering what needs to do in order to maintain a worthy journalistic standing and how to best tailor news to the mass. With many ways that readers connect to their local news, there are endless skills that upcoming journalists need to attain to keep up with the never-ending flow of advances that technology throws at them. As long as we, the people, have the need, and the desire to push forwards to make the world a better place honorable journalism will remain preserved. 

Works Cited

Angelucci, Charles. “New MIT Sloan research shows that a decrease in local news coverage can lead to individuals voting for the same political party across national and local elections.” MIT Sloan, 24 May 2021, https://mitsloan.mit.edu/press/new-mit-sloan-research-shows-a-decrease-local-news-coverage-can-lead-to-individuals-voting-same-political-party-across-national-and-local-elections. Accessed 11 May 2023.

“The Future of Journalism – The Science Survey.” The Science Survey, 21 July 2022, https://thesciencesurvey.com/news/2022/07/21/the-future-of-journalism/. Accessed 11 May 2023.

“The local news crisis is deepening America's divides.” Axios, 4 July 2022, https://www.axios.com/2022/07/04/local-newspapers-news-deserts. Accessed 11 May 2023.

Waldman, Steve. “Our local-news situation is even worse than we think.” Columbia Journalism Review, 25 February 2022, https://www.cjr.org/local_news/local_reporters_decline_coverage_density.php. Accessed 11 May 2023.