The changing world of journalism

So far today at the Poynter Institute, our class has heard two lectures about journalism ethics and new media forms that are changing the way reporters get news out to their readers.


In the first lecture, Kenneth Irby, director of Diversity Programs, spoke about ethics in the digital age. He pointed out that no matter what new devices and programs are out there, journalist must stuck to heart of what journalism is.


He said the three main questions journalist must always ask themselves are: what is my journalistic purpose?, What organizational policies and professional guidelines should I consider?, and What are my ethical concerns?.


One of the stories I wrote for SJI involved the changes some media outlet have done to deal with the economic crisis and the means they have gone to to meet the demand from their readers for stories on certain teams. All of the issues Mr. Irby brought up are plaguing the newspapers I talk about in my story. It is a sensitive subject, but one that is very important to our industry.


In the second lecture, Ellyn Angelotti talked about how Facebook and Twitter have changed the face of journalism. The main focus in her speech was using these programs to help connect to your readers and sources.


She said the three main things to get out of these social networking sites are to document the experience with the users, use the community as a resource and to continue to expand your community into a large virtual community.


As we have already seen, Facebook and Twitter as now important tools for journalist and have brought up many ethical issues. Both speeches presented interesting facts and questions about the road our industry is taking. As the field continues to evolve, we must be prepared to make the necessary changes.