How Can Journalism Survive?

By Emmanuel Perilla

Journalism is meant to be the lifeline of democracy in society. If the journalism industry fails to inform and educate the public on what’s going on in society then it ceases to be relevant. Here are three steps the journalism industry can take to ensure it will stay relevant and be a democratic tool for the public:

1. Report on oppressed and marginalized communities on a regular basis. The journalism industry in this country cannot be democratic if it fails to report on stories involving poor people, the incarcerated, disabled folks, racial minorities and other disenfranchised groups. These groups represent the most exploited in the country and failure to include them in newspapers is not giving a true picture of what’s going in the country. Every newsroom in America should make marginalized groups one of their primary topics. The more journalists report on these groups, the more the public will get a better picture of what type of hardships they have to endure and what their daily experiences consist of. Journalists must report the truth to the public and exposing the lives of those on the very bottom is an absolute necessity for people to have a complete picture of the society they're living in. In order for the industry to survive, journalists should always have an ear to what’s going on with the most exploited groups in the country; to ignore these demographics should mean a newspaper is not a serious publication.
2. Criticize powerful individuals and institutions regardless of what their public image is. One of the biggest problems in the industry today is the hesitation to criticize power. For example, Donald Trump may make a racist statement or enact policies that are negatively affecting people but journalists will hesitate to report accurately on this because they want to remain “neutral”. Journalists have to criticize powerful people and institutions that affect the public and they should get used to it. People don’t wanna read neutral news. They wanna read stories where reporters are questioning what role institutions serve in our lives. Journalists are not supposed to just confirm the views of the powerful. They are supposed to ask how to do the powerful effect the public and what are the repercussions of having unchecked power in the society. The journalism industry has failed somewhat because journalists write like there a spokesperson for the powerful. In order for the industry to stay relevant, journalists have to understand they write to keep democracy thriving and democracy can only thrive if journalists are honest about how power operates in society.
3. Report on local communities and areas that are often neglected. Journalism can’t only be relegated to popular urban cities like New York or Chicago. Reporters must extend their skills to local communities and makes sure their stories are covered as well. For example, when the water in Flint, Michigan was discovered to be contaminated, this was a great example of a smaller community’s problems being covered. Newspapers should not neglect local communities if they wish to remain relevant. Local communities and the public will begin to trust journalists and the work they do once they see reporters going to communities that are often neglected or whose stories don't get told. Even if the local communities reporters cover doesn’t have the most appealing stories there experiences are still important and must be covered if democratic journalism is to exist. Journalists should serve as a voice for those who are often voiceless.