Media needs tech, not cynicism
As journalists, we’re good at being skeptical. We don’t take things at face value. We ask questions and understand the importance of fact-checking claims. Being skeptical, though, is different from being cynical about everything that’s new.
One thing journalists — and the news media in general — aren’t particularly good at is adapting to change. We’re slow to adopt new revenue models or storytelling approaches. Some of us are still struggling to adopt a digital-first mindset. And right now, thanks to the rapid growth and influence of tech and social companies, we have no choice but to change. It leaves us feeling like we’ve lost control. The cynicism kicks in.
Part of my job as Poynter’s digital innovation faculty member is to teach professional journalists how to incorporate social media, user-generated content and participatory storytelling into their reporting processes and workflows. It’s surprising how often my sessions get derailed by a doubtful person who still doesn’t quite trust or see the value of “new” media.
The problem, as laid out in Herrman’s post, isn’t that tech companies are giving journalists a hard time when it comes to access and reporting. That’s to be expected with most large organizations. The bigger problem is that media is lagging so far behind. Journalists are rightly skeptical of tech, but many of us are also sadly cynical, in part because we haven’t innovated quickly enough compared to our Silicon Valley counterparts.
Journalists, editors and news executives should cast their distrust aside and be open to the opportunities that new tech and social platforms offer. Experiment with new features. Try real-time reporting on Snapchat. Get some anonymous feedback on YikYak. Learn from the available metrics and figure out how to tell stories that matter and are widely read.
I don’t think that tech companies are operating under some malicious ulterior motive. And despite attempts to appear otherwise, they certainly don’t have all the answers. Remember Google+? What about Ello? For every Instant Article, there’s some other feature that barely made a splash. Just last week, Twitter changed its star-shaped Favorite icon to a heart-shaped Like. There’s plenty of fussing, tweaking and uncertainty in the tech sector, too.
Some tech companies, like many powerful players, try to avoid the scrutiny of journalism because it could hurt their images and bottom lines. Instead, they should view it as an opportunity for external quality control. I’d like to imagine that The New York Times’ exposé, regardless of Amazon’s public rebukes, led to some much-needed internal conversations and institutional change at Amazon. Exposing the truth ultimately benefits us all, even if it involves some short-term pain.
There’s no denying that journalists need tech and social platforms — to reach and grow their audiences, to find sources and story ideas, to remain relevant. This relationship, as Herrman points out, is increasingly complicated. Ultimately, we need to trust each other, hold each other accountable, and accept that we’re stronger together.
Are tech companies looking to become media companies? Possibly. In regards to the freedom of press and democracy, it’s an admittedly scary thought. The most powerful organizations and people absolutely require the scrutiny of independent watchdogs.
Herrman asks what this “newer, better media built from platforms” looks like. I’d be naive to claim to know the answer, but I don’t think the future of media is as scary of some make it out to be.
If any group is winning today, it’s the audience. We have more choice in where and how we get our news than ever before. We have a bigger voice in what the media covers and what is deemed newsworthy. (Ferguson, Occupy Wall Street and the Arab Spring are all key examples.) We have constant access to information and the ability to further spread that knowledge.
Thanks to social media and the democratization of information, audiences don’t rely on traditional news outlets like we used to. But for those same reasons, we need people and organizations willing and able to filter the noise and identify the incredible amounts of misinformation out there.
No one can see the future — no matter how much power they wield. The mass of data available today — created by us, the collective audience — dictates so many of the changes we see, in both tech and media. Ultimately, we’re all in charge.
