Matthew Barker
Jul 21, 2017 · 3 min read

Follow the Leader: Journalism is Changing, and Companies are Following

Matthew Barker of IMC 306

The field of journalism is widely believed to be in a less than ideal situation today. This stems from multiple reasons, including the rise of the internet. The internet has not only diminished audience attention, but has also taken advertising revenue away from existing media platforms such as television, radio and print. Many have succumb to the idea of an inevitable, technologically-forced death of the journalism industry, however, this is simply impossible. In every Earthly ecosystem, there is a cornerstone. Every living, breathing creature and plant rely on said cornerstone in order to survive and thrive in their home. Without it, the entire ecosystem would fail. In our world, journalism is the cornerstone. Businesses would lose their core venue of gaining customers: advertising, if such a major depletion of media occurred. They would, without doubt, fail.

Now, more than ever, journalism is changing. This is occurring in multiple ways and on multiple platforms, which makes it such a difficult entity to predict. Audiences of the media have been subject to journalistic changes for decades; whether it be the introduction of television, or the introduction of the infamous phrase, “fake news.” However, what audiences often fail to recognize or consider, is the effect that journalism has on the small businesses, the economy, and the corporate industry as a whole. Businesses follow what journalism does in order to best accommodate the audiences. Examples of this include advertising platforms, distribution places/methods, and more. On the topic of journalistic changes in society, Forbes says, “these market shifts will favor those who aggressively commit early to new communications approaches, and learn how to succeed” (Forbes, 2017). The concept of “aggressively committing” to the growing and changing journalism platform is vital to companies who aspire to stay ahead of the curve and maintain their consumer status.

So, how are these companies supposed to keep up? There is no handbook with instructions on how to follow journalism’s trends. This is what makes it so difficult. The fact of the matter is, it’s a two-way street. What journalism does for advertising is the tip of the corporate iceberg. Poynter, a worldwide leader in journalistic studies, says, “the point is that all the innovation and work we put into doing journalism may produce more value than mere space for advertising adjacencies. As we develop our ability to work with data, produce info-rich experiences for mobile devices, or experiment with distributed reporting, we may hit on tools and techniques valuable enough to help subsidize our journalism” (Poynter, 2012). The responsibility of moving as one industry moves is not simply left up to the corporate world, but the journalistic world as well. If these two industries move in parallels, their goals will become synonymous, and the consumer world will be much better off for it.

Sources:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2017/01/06/4-trends-that-will-forever-change-media-advertising-you-2017-and-beyond/#510e956f2340.

https://www.poynter.org/2012/why-journalists-should-explore-the-business-side-of-the-newsroom/196857/

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