During our Wednesday meeting we talked about my previous blog post “What is the future of journalism” where I pointed out the rules of production that Nick Davies stressed in his book. And then I was not really prepared to answer the question what is my opinion about the statement “the death of journalism”. That is why I want to present you my view on the situation of journalism.
The main problem in journalism is that the profession (I think of journalism as a profession but I’m aware that some do not think that way) adopted the capitalistic values. Journalism, media, news, journalists have become products ready to sale, buy and the most important, replace. The power is now in the hands of those who have money, because money can buy and money can replace. Several journalists (in Slovenia) have low salaries, are not employed full time, and if they do not support the policy of the media they work for, are replaceable and in short time also replaced.
The second problem is that graduated journalists have less opportunity to be employed, because they cannot be that easily guided as those that are not educated, that don’t have the media knowledge.
The media economy is also problematic, because the owners of the media are only concerned about the profit, making money, and produce more and more goods (news) that sell the media. They bring pressure on the editors, they pressure the journalists and journalists can no longer write a quality articles. Because of time limitations they copy the agency news, and by now, if we look at 6 Slovene media, we can see the same news, in some media restructured, but still the same. It is very similar with the sources of information; nowadays almost all the journalist in our country calls and cites the same sources. That means that we can have only one side of the story (or one side of one side), but we don’t have the diversity of facts, thoughts, opinion.
Here I have to point out, that in the journalistic field there is way too much rivalship, jealousy and envy. Several journalists would, just to have the top news first and only, lie or mislead other partners in this field – even if one of them works on the internet and other for the newspaper. And this is problematic; I just think about lawyers and doctors profession that has a high level of solidarity. They stick together to protect their profession and they act together towards others.
Until journalist will not recognize that beside other enemies, that are outside their profession (politicians, economists, owners of the media, PR, marketing workers), their worst enemy is that inside their field, they would not be able to step together and resist those who keep the profession of journalism at such a low level.
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That's true, Marina - journalism adopted capitalistic values, but that's just the way it is in all other professions as well. Media owners care only for making profit and not for quality of content or good treatment for journalists. Cruel reality.
OdgovoriIzbrišiOn the other hand, in Slovenia (as a part of SFRJ) you had "socialistic journalism" which was plain reflection of what the Party is announcing. Guess that was not that good, too.
I think journalists themselves must try to gain their freedom and independent work, not depending on the political/social system. Not an easy mission, but the only one possible.