The Future of Journalism
The Future of Journalism
Go to the Nieman Lab webpage (part of Harvard university) and watch the video of Clay Shirky presenting to Harvard students. The video is also available on YouTube below but the Nieman Lab website has a written transcript of everything Shirky says.
Play the clip AND read along with the transcript below to ensure you are following the argument. You need to watch from the beginning to 29.35 (the end of Shirky's presentation). Once you've watched and read the presentation and made notes (you may want to copy and paste key quotes from the transcript which is absolutely fine), answer the questions below:
1) Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this?
Because it holds powerful individuals and institutions responsible for their actions. He highlights investigative journalism as a crucial component of democracy.
2) What does Shirky say about the relationship between newspapers and advertisers? Which websites does he mention as having replaced major revenue-generators for newspapers (e.g. jobs, personal ads etc.)?
That newspapers traditionally relied on advertisers for revenue. However, with the rise of the internet, businesses have turned to more efficient and targeted online platforms
3) Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?
Shirky suggests that instead of reading full newspapers, people now consume news through social media, blogs, and news aggregator sites like Twitter and Google News.
4) Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?Shirky argues that if the internet had been widely used in 1992, the Catholic Church scandal might have been exposed much earlier.
5) Why does Shirky argue against paywalls?
Because Shirky opposes paywalls as they limit access to important news and reduce the influence of journalism. He argues that most people will not pay for news when free alternatives exist, meaning critical stories may not reach a wide audience. Instead, he suggests that newspapers need new business models to survive.
6) What is a 'social good'? In what way might journalism be a 'social good'?
A social good is something that benefits society as a whole, rather than just individuals. Journalism can be considered a social good because it provides the public with important information, exposes corruption, and promotes democracy by holding governments and corporations accountable.
7) Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?
The short-term danger is that as traditional newspapers collapse, there may be a gap where important investigative journalism disappears before new models fully replace them.
8) Look at the first question and answer regarding institutional power. Give us your own opinion: how important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?
In my opinion, it is crucial that major media brands like The New York Times and The Guardian continue operating because they have the resources to fund deep investigative journalism. Without them, there is a risk that misinformation will spread unchecked, and important stories may go unreported.
Part 2: MM55 - Media, Publics, Protest and Power
Media Magazine 55 has an excellent feature on power and the media. Go to our Media Magazine archive, click on MM55 and scroll to page 38 to read the article Media, Publics, Protest and Power', a summary of Media academic Natalie Fenton’s talk to a previous Media Magazine conference. Answer the following questions:
1) What are the three overlapping fields that have an influence on the relationship between media and democracy?
Political, economic and journalistic
2) What is ‘churnalism’ and what issues are there currently in journalism?
Churnalism: A form of journalism where media stories are based on press releases and pre-packaged content provided by news agencies.
3) What statistics are provided by Fenton to demonstrate the corporate dominance of a small number of conglomerates?
Just three companies control 71% of UK national newspaper circulation while only five groups control more than 80% of combined online and offline news. 4) What is the 'climate of fear' that Fenton writes about in terms of politics and the media?
Politicians are fearful of career-wrecking and life-ruining negative publicity, along with damage to their parties’ chances of re-election.
5) Fenton finishes her article by discussing pluralism, the internet and power. What is your opinion on this crucial debate - has the internet empowered audiences and encouraged democracy or is power even more concentrated in the hands of a few corporate giants?
On one hand, the internet has empowered audiences and encouraged democracy by providing access to diverse viewpoints, citizen journalism, and alternative media platforms. However, power is still concentrated in the hands of a few corporate giants, such as Google, Facebook and X. In my opinion, while the internet initially created opportunities for democratic participation, corporate control over major platforms has restricted true media diversity. Audiences must be critical consumers of information and support independent journalism to ensure a more balanced media landscape.
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