Week 2 Post

Short, quick narratives have become the current state of journalism in America today. No longer do its people have time for the art of narration; the building of a lead and topic sentence that introduces the reader to a series of recorded facts. As journalism becomes mass produced, it, as a product, becomes sloppy and ill-informed shouting match in which no one is really listening.

In James Carey’s essay, The Dark Continent of American Journalism, he examines the American reader and American journalist by example of a story about two men committing the perfect murder in 1924; how the institution of news media has been transformed over the years and the relation of the public becoming progressively ill-informed. No longer are there astute readers because of the mass production of media over the years. He talks about how somewhere journalism became identified with breaking news, news flashes, and the general practice of news writers moving from that of a lengthy narrative, to a more narrowed and compact package for the consumer to quickly consume. Carey explains the “how” and “why”, which are the most important aspects of a story and to the people who read have become insufficient.

In comparison, the second text, What Society Requires is Reputable Journalism, also illustrates the failure of journalism to keep up with changing technology, and also holds the reader responsible for not being more astute in their quest for well-informed news.  The author here in an interview with retired columnist Calgary Herald explains how newspapers alone have had the reputation of reputable journalism because it held together by names, names on the stories, and counter-arguments. However, Herald makes it clear that “society doesn’t need newspapers. What we need is journalism.”

As our society moves into a future where everyone has the power to become a reporter, there is no accountability, no fact checking, and thus Herald says what the internet becomes is the “fair and open exchange of ideas and opinions” becomes little more than neighbors screaming at each other across the backyard fence. Readers pick and choose news sources that make them feel good and informed, and that is what the media provides in response.

In conclusion, it is clear that it’s important for both the journalist and the reader to be responsible in this intertwined relationship. Reputable journalism, one that gives indisputable names and facts, is needed to establish the how and why within stories for the public to understand the full picture of the news. In kind, it is the responsibility of the reader to take time to understand news and to check sources in order to keep journalism honest. Without this balance, journalism becomes sloppy and we the people are left to tabloid journalism.

-Shawn Napier