All of the gloomy reports about newspaper circulation rapidly dropping might lead some to believe that journalism itself is dying. But journalism is alive and well. It is just that the way reporters do their job is changing.
With the popularity of the Internet, gone are the days of print-only or TV-only newsrooms, according to Career Opportunities in Journalism, a new book by Jennifer Burns, assistant dean of career services at Quinnipiac University. Media companies no longer have to wait for the evening broadcast or tomorrow’s edition to report the news. Almost all media outlets are breaking stories on their Web sites, and the news cycle has become 24-7.
Journalists need to change, as well, Burns says. Instead of thinking of themselves as only print journalists or broadcast journalists, they need to think of themselves as journalists, period. And they must be able to report the news in publication, online or in front of a microphone.
That is where this blog comes in. As a Monmouth University journalism professor, my aim is to prepare the next generation of journalists for the changing job market. As a former newspaper reporter, I view journalism as a skill or a trade. The best way to learn it is by doing it.
So, my class is teaming with the Asbury Park Press to produce a daily blog for the newspaper’s Web site. We will be reporting about the goings-on at our university and in our college town.
This partnership has all kinds of potential. But it will be wasted if no one reads the blog.
That’s where you – the person reading this blog – comes in. Let us know what you think about our posts. Are they informative? Do they move you? Upset you? Did we overlook something or – gasp – make a mistake? Is there something you’d like us to cover?
I invite your feedback. E-mail me at mgrabows(at)monmouth(dot)edu.
-Professor Grabowski
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