Editor’s Note: Evan Zimmet, a student at Viewpoint School, was an intern at the Business Journal for two weeks in July. I asked the aspiring professional journalist to give a high school student’s view of the changes taking place in today’s world of media. The world of journalism is very complex and hard to understand. Being a young journalist has allowed me to examine the industry differently than many others would. The dying market of news has caused fear and agony to journalists around the globe. For me, there is a sense of hope. Although some say the market is dying, journalists still have their greatest asset, “news.” Some media outlets might be losing money, but even those still have news. It sounds like a silly idea, but in truth, humans will do all they can to get news when they want it. Journalists control the news and what becomes headline news, so journalists still have the “power.” As long as there is news, journalism is safe. However, ever since the Internet has expanded the availability of news, print newspapers have been worried about their future. The Internet brings faster and more up-to-the-minute news without the costs of printing and delivering thousands of newspapers daily. So what is the future of print journalism? What will happen to print newspapers? How will journalists get paid? Is this once thriving industry collapsing? These are some of the many questions pondered about the industry today. When people think of newspapers, they think of the Los Angeles Times, the New York Times, and Boston Globe, to name a few. These newspapers, indeed, are deeply in trouble. Their general news coverage faces stiff competition from hundreds of faster online news sources where people can get their news. In contrast, newspapers with a particular focus such as The Wall Street Journal and the San Fernando Valley Business Journal continue to thrive. Never the less, even these “successful” print newspapers will have to adapt to the online world if they are to continue their success well into the 21st century. However, there is a silver lining, the hope of future journalism: charge for online news. This is a very risky decision for newspapers but if it is pulled off correctly, the newspaper industry will thrive. One of the reasons The Wall Street Journal is making it is because they have successfully charged for online news. They continue to bring fast and recent news while paying for the services of print journalists. The people might be unhappy, but it is their only choice to get that news. The growth of technology also will be a savior for news outlets. More and more people are downloading newspapers on Kindles or buying apps for iPhones and iPads. It is an easy way for the companies to charge their readers, and the readers are happy because they truly can get their news anywhere directly onto the device. What keeps these newspapers whole is the accuracy of their news. Nowadays, news is unreliable on the Internet, for they will post anything they think is “newsworthy” in order to attract readers. These newspapers have printed accurate news dating back to the original newspaper. The biggest worry in the industry is the fate of journalists around the globe. Thousands of writers are having trouble finding a job or even keeping a job. The answer to this problem is the answer to journalism – online news. As said earlier, these companies use Web sites as a resource to promote their news. They can afford to pay columnists to write on their websites with the money received from charging online. As a young journalist, I look to the future with a bright, optimistic attitude to see what will become of news. Although it will be rough, and journalists will struggle, it is our job as journalists, no matter what source news comes from, to deliver the news and continue to keep the people educated,
What’s the Future of The World’s Media?
