When the oral tradition was transformed onto stone tablets to reach a larger audience, it did not mean story telling had vanished. It simply meant it had changed its venue. Just as paper shattered stone, computers made of silicon with RGB light have reinvented how story telling is transmitted. As long as humans exist, story will continue to evolve and will be shared with a larger audience both locally and around the world.
So, why do some believe journalism is dying when clearly, it is not. According to John Raess, Associated Press Chief of Bureau for Northern California and Nevada, there has never been a larger appetite for news in history. He said, “We are on a 24 hour a day news watch and the level of reporting is better than it ever has been.”
Raess said even though paper circulation is down due to web news on the internet, news revenue is at an all time high. He believes honest, accurate news is strong and won’t change.
According to David Zeeck Executive Editor of the Tacoma Tribune even when subscriptions declined by 4,000-- internet subscriptions increased by 20,000. This is proof the audience is not dying, but it is changing.
Paper, though portable and refractory, is in less demand. And yet, news information is still in power. Even though the demand for news is strong, it is tricky. News is now at the consumer’s whim because when readers pursue news, they can go to any web site and click links they feel are necessary to their lives.
A news reporter has to have the drive, talent and foresight to find what readers want and report it fast. AP News Editor Brian Carovillano said, “Breaking news goes right out in 200 word fast files.” Raess encounters similar situations. “You’ll never get fired for not meeting a revenue goal, but you’ll get fired if you miss a story.”
The mission of the AP office is to be fast, responsive, reliable, and innovative. They are “charting the course that focuses on essential journalism, digital technology, and business innovation.” For the AP to survive, they must find a way to be the world’s most essential news source.
This rings true for the future of news media. For reporters and news to survive they must decipher what’s important to their audience and capture readers. In this digital age, readers hunger for truth and information that is most pertinent to their lives on more than one platform.