Our future in writing

"The Reconstruction of American Journalism" said it perfectly, "What is bound to be a chaotic reconstruction of American journalism is full of both perils and opportunities for news reporting, especially in local communities." I think the peril for me (and for anyone who is going into this profession) is finding a job. Whenever I tell people that I am going into journalism they immediately respond by saying you are going into a dying profession. I do not think the profession of journalism is dying, but instead it is the process of journalism that is dying. I talked with Greg O'Dell, the executive director of the EMU Department of Public Safety, and he said that when he worked in Ann Arbor he would get daily calls from news reporters for information on stories, but now the stories are posted instantly and have problems with accuracy. That right there supports my argument that accuracy has taken a back seat to speed. I think another peril with finding a job is that people can now post anything they want online. The real trouble is trying to get your work noticed. What makes it better than someone else?

The other point made was that the Internet has provided more opportunities for people. This is true. Anyone can make their own blog and post their own opinions about anything. A couple of opportunities can arise from this. If your blog gets big enough maybe you will noticed by a big name and you can get a job. If you just like to stay in the freelancing business then you can charge people to read your blog. I know a couple people that have chosen that route instead. Either way, money can be made from blogs.

I believe that journalism is being reconstructed, but this does have to be a bad thing. If you truly want a career in journalism, I believe that one way or another, this can be achieved.