Pulling the breaks

"If it ain't broke, don't fix fit" - an American proverb that comes to mind when considering the fact that newspapers - as a form of information dispersal - have essentially not changed in about 400 years. The proverb must have certainly been close to what industry leaders were thinking for those four centuries. But now that the Internet is where we Google, Wiki and Digg for information, trying to stop 400 years of momentum in a decade's time is like pulling the breaks to a bullet train so it won't hit a mouse 100 meters away. Similar analogies have been used numerous times in recent years to try to partly describe where the newspaper industry is headed.

Ethical questions and questions of integrity arise when a traditional platform changes. In the case of online newspapers, or rather, online media outlets, there are concerns that codes and norms might become compromised, especially at the hand of the average Joe who knows a thing or two about computers, but nothing about journalistic principles.

In the face of change; however, journalists must consider that they are the ones who are trained to report fairly, accurately, and honestly to the best of their abilities. They need to remind themselves that they can and will provide a public service. They need to remind themselves of these things as the platform of information dispersal changes - and changes rapidly. The masses will get what they want, but now we need to figure out how to instill codes and norms, while simultaneously harnessing new trends on the Internet. We need to develop and implement a journalistic platform that is not only enjoyable and useful for the "readership," but a platform(s) that will act as the community, regional, or even national tool to which people seek their news information.

* * *
Here's a link to a recent presentation that Damon Kiesow, the online managing editor at The Telegraph, gave to my New Media class. He addressed a number of the aforementioned issues. And here's a link to Daily Beachcomber photographer Scott Yates' audio slideshow "Backstage Pass: Post-Rockin'." Scott recently gave a "how to" presentation about creating audio stories using Audacity.