it is not the medium
One of the issues raised last night during our first chat session was that of the quality of journalism in light of convergence. Technology, convergence, and speed should be tools for delivering the news -- not excuses for bad journalism. The principles of journalism defined by Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel are not limited to one medium -- they should be practiced across media. Any journalist worth his salt should remain mindful of this.
Reflecting on this, I am reminded of Stephen Glass, formerly of The New Republic. Writing in Forbes.com, Adam Penenberg -- who kept digging until he uncovered Glass’s deception -- said, “It is ironic that online journalists have received bad press from the print media for shoddy reporting. But the truth is, bad journalism can be found anywhere. It is not the medium; it is the writer.”
4 comments:
Hi Chingbee!
Great comment! I totally agree that it doesn't matter which medium we examine because there are always "bad eggs" to be found everywhere! We shouldn't generalize and just assume that, for example, all radio people are fat and ugly since you can't see them!
Bruce
Hi Ching Bee and Bruce,
Bruce's last comment is amusing, yes we should not be generalising. All TV people look good..:) haha. Or all seniors can't blog.*ouch.
But I agree that good writing is important, regardless of which delivery platform you use
Susan
Hi Chingbee, Bruce and Susan,
Have to agree with your post and comments...We should never generalize stereotypes on journalists just because they work for a particular medium, or they belong to certain age bracket. Ha! Multiple work and faster technology (which means shorter deadlines) are not excuses for bad journalism.
Marieton
Hi Bruce, Susan, and Marieton,
Thanks for your comments. While reading Marieton's post, I thought of that phrase about teaching old dogs new tricks. Some more senior journos are more willing than others to embrace the new media. Being techno-savvy is not necessarily an age factor, I guess. But does being of the "old school" mean that their standards are higher?
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