As far as you can see, people fill the streets. Thousands of signs and flags color the city, and peaceful music and chants fill the air. That is, until the police arrive and chaos breaks out. You aren’t there to protest, only to document the event. When police release crowd control munitions, your bystander status doesn’t keep you out of harm’s way. A tear gas canister strikes your knee, then ricochets into the other. You now walk with a limp. Doctors are surprised you recovered well enough to walk at all.
When photojournalist Héctor Quintanar shared this story at a journalism convention last October, it left a lasting impact on many of us. Much of our staff plans to pursue, or is at least considering, a career in journalism. So when we heard firsthand about violence against journalists, it stuck. Violence towards journalists isn’t new, but over the past year it has seemed to skyrocket, especially amid nationwide protests.
Physical danger in the field isn’t the only threat journalism has faced this year. Polarization and economic interests have distorted the industry and eroded public trust. As distrust in traditional media grows, many people turn to social media for news instead. That shift has cost news organizations revenue…enough to force layoffs and shrink newsrooms. Locally, Lincoln Journal Star downsized its newsroom last year. On top of that, arrests of journalists have raised concerns about press freedom itself.
Altogether, this climate has made journalism less appealing as a career, even to some of our own Clarion staffers. But, journalism isn’t beyond saving. With shifts in economics and public opinion, it can be renewed as a valued and trusted profession.
First, news organizations need to find ways to be profitable without compromising journalistic integrity. The reality is simple: journalism is losing revenue. As advertising dollars migrate to social media, many newspapers stay afloat by selling to wealthy buyers and corporations who have their own vested interests in shaping in the media.
Consider The Washington Post, purchased in 2013 by Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon. Or The Boston Globe, purchased the same year by billionaire and Boston Red Sox owner John Henry. Glen Taylor, billionaire and former senator, bought The Minnesota Star Tribune in 2014. And in 2018, billionaire and businessman Patrick Soon-Shiong bought both The Los Angeles Times and The San Diego Union-Tribune. The list goes on.
Allowing billionaires and corporations to control media outlets creates potential conflicts of interest. Those deeply connected to business and politics may benefit from spreading certain rhetoric and shaping narratives. Corporate ownership just leads to selling out “true” journalism for a quick buck. Journalism’s purpose is to uncover truth and give voice to the voiceless. When polarization drives clicks and revenue, sensationalism can replace substance.
Some argue these owners are saving the publications from extinction, but that doesn’t validate actions like those of Jeff Bezos who recently cut approximately one-third of The Washington Post’s newsroom, including foreign correspondents, narrowing the paper’s international reporting. Cutting the reporting of news in foreign countries goes against journalism’s true purpose of shedding light on the truth and keeping our citizens informed.
To us, its clear that allowing billionaires and tycoons to control the news is wrong. The Founding Fathers protected freedom of the press to keep the country free from government censorship and to serve as a way to hold government officials accountable. It’s risky business for democracy when businesses, which often are directly tied to politics, control the press.
Economic challenges alone aren’t a reason to abandon these institutions. The Washington Post helped expose the Watergate Scandal, so to give up on it and other papers is a disservice to democracy. Still, journalism needs sustainable funding from somewhere. That’s why we believe independent and community-supported journalism may represent a viable path forward…if public perception doesn’t crush it first. The second way to rescue journalism is a shift in how people view journalism.
Public opinion is shaped by many factors, including media polarization, which fuels mistrust. Skepticism of the media doesn’t only stem from individuals though, it starts from the top. Numerous political leaders have turned the public against media outlets by labeling them as “fake news” or “enemies of the people”. The way that leaders of our nation view journalists is reflected upon the general population, no matter what side of the political spectrum you fall.
Viewing the media in this way is incredibly harmful. The press exists to inform the public. Yes, some outlets have become less credible in the past years, but this does not mean all journalism should be labeled as fake or untrustworthy.
Many people view the media as irritating or intrusive, even some of our staffers felt this way before they joined the team. Journalism can be messy and the truth isn’t always neat or easy to uncover. But meaningful reporting often requires persistence, though questions and discomfort. Consider the muckrakers of the early 1900s who exposed dangerous living conditions, corrupt business practices and unsafe food production. They didn’t accomplish this all by standing by; they got their hands dirty.
We believe if more people recognize journalism’s value, it can be saved from extinction. When people see news as a public good rather than a nuisance, financial and political pressures lose some of their grip.
And, if we refuse to let journalism become obsolete, then we can really examine the issues surrounding journalists. Physical harm against reporters draws outrage only if the public cares. Threats to press freedom are only dismantled when we recognize the value of it.
Through all the trouble of the current landscape, there is still hope for journalism. There are plenty of reasons not to pursue journalism, but many of us believe those are the very reasons we should. We should want to change the landscape, because isn’t that what journalism is all about?
Journalism isn’t dead and it isn’t a lost cause; its just changing. As the next generation of journalists, it will be our job to adapt. Those of us who choose this path are willing to take that step.
