Corruption, lies and under-the-table deals are all things that go unnoticed without the accountability of journalism.
Just like something you don’t realize is missing until it is gone, when journalism is out the door, accountability often soon follows suit.
As government officials and those in power feel less pressure to maintain their integrity, and the general public becomes less informed, the implications of the decline of journalism are vast and will only grow more prominent.
Traditional journalism originated and existed in a time when information was highly sought after while being incredibly scarce. Without journalism, information simply was not disseminated, therefore leaving people in the dark.
From reporters being jailed and censored, to decreased funding and mass layoffs, the journalism industry looks immensely different than it has in the past and has been on the decline for the past two decades.
Social media platforms have taken the place of newspapers while missing the crucial facts and characteristics that made newspapers most notable. We now exist in a time where there is a surplus of information which often leads to oversaturation, therefore decreasing its value.
A large part of this is that there are many “news channels” that are technically considered “entertainment,” which are incredibly partisan and often get away with spreading false information.
More importantly, there has been a decline in hard-hitting, factually bold journalism.
Although current times may point to the decline of journalism it is imperative to credit the times when journalists have uncovered what was flying under the radar.
One of the most notable cases of this is the work Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein did at the Washington Post in the early 70’s where they unraveled the Watergate scandal. A more recent example is journalists Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey at the New York Times, and Ronan Farrow at the New Yorker who played crucial roles in breaking the sexual harassment story about Harvey Weinstein. These are just a few of many examples of how journalism has played a role in holding those in power responsible.
Exposing these acts enables both the public and legal institutions to take proper action and hold these individuals accountable.
The suppression of journalism not only comes broadly from news consumption moving from print to digital but also from additional actors specifically working to suppress the information. An example is Facebook’s efforts to reduce the amount of news that is seen by users on their feed, as reported by the Atlantic.
On the local level, newsrooms are being hit even harder. The circulation of newspapers on both the local and national levels dwindles more and more each year as a result of layoffs. Even news companies that bear the most iconic stature such as the New York Times, the Washington Post and Atlanta’s very own Atlanta Journal-Constitution aren’t exempt.
According to PEN America, “As local journalism declines, government officials conduct themselves with less integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness and corporate malfeasance goes unchecked.”
A way the industry can still prosper is by emphasizing the aspects of digital journalism that are becoming more popular, such as newsletters and podcasts. The shift from print to digital does not mean the industry as a whole must diminish.
For example, the New York Times, “The Daily” and “The Headlines,” serve as daily podcasts reporting on the major stories of the day, as well as podcasts like Farrow’s “The Catch and the Kill,” which discusses how he wrote and uncovered Harvey Weinstein’s sexual harassment story.
Although we are in the era of citizen journalism, there is a certain level of credibility and accountability carried only by a true newsroom.
The act of reviving journalism is incredibly multifaceted and falls on the shoulders of audiences, journalists and those internally supporting the industry. Rebuilding trust with audiences and encouraging their support, reverting to hard-hitting journalism, supporting local news and combating false information will all be critical in the revival of journalism.
Obviously, reviving journalism is not something that can be done in an instant since it has been on the decline.
While it may not revert back to what it was, considering the necessity of disseminating truthful information on the local and national level, along with the need to hold those in power accountable, it is clear there are many crucial reasons to ensure the industry does not fade away.
