Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Hanging on to an uncomfortable past
Micheal Bugeja's article on the contrast between institutional preparation and industry pratice/trends in journalism really conserned me. My concerns I might add, are for different reasons than Mr. Bugeja's. I do agree with his views on the economic headlock companies put on interns, and how today's corperate culture insists that a student take on a massive debt as a result of paying your dues in slave labor. Many internships are unpaid, the ones that do pay will still be sure to leave your wallet with hungar pains. The fact is that in every industry from Law enforcement to Teaching to Journalism everyone must pay dues in the form of unpaid (or criminaly underpaid) training. Many police officers I know told me of fellow offcers going on welfare while in the acadamy. Teachers always have great stories of woe from they're student teaching days as does Mr. Bugejas from the news media industy. However, my emapathy stops there.
I found Mr. Bugeja's views on traditional vs. current methods of information gathering sad, the same way I would a twelve year old hanging on to his/her blanky is sad. Thats not to say that fundementals of journalism should be forsaken mind you. The fact of the matter is that the industry of news media is shifting in result of the the resources avalible. If Mr. Bugeja was teaching a math class would he stop after additon and subtraction for fear of the diluting and lazy effects of multiplication and division? I hope not. Mr. Bugeja is right that in institutions the fundementals should be taught. Good old fashioned information gathering should not be a lost art, but lets face some facts. Technology has shortened the distance from A to B and made breaking news and information more avalible to reporters who would have had to possably travel to get information. Rather than follow a story by foot they can do so by broadband connection, or connect to the source who is doing the footwork. Since technology has become such a big part of the process the speed in which news breaks is strides ahead of what it once was. The biggest problem in my eyes is the amount of jobs lost and drowned in the wake of technologies romance with news media. But, there is little or nothing to do but adjust and conform. How many number crunchers in the 80 lost careers to computers? How many factory workers and craftsmen lost jobs to machines throughout history?
Technology has always had the purpose to do a job better than the way it had been done before, reguardless if it was a human who had that job. Shop at Ikea or Waldbaums in long Beach and you can, if you want be rung by an automated cashier( if paying by credit card). It seems that the heavy hand of technology has reached journalism and grass roots like Mr. Bugeja are fighting it. Rather than fight it, or cautsion it an effort in the direction of chnage should be made. Institutions should try to develope new curriculum that applies to today's industry standards while retaining the grass roots methods as a foundation the way simple addition and subtractions are the basis of all things math. Swim with the trends and shifts because if not you'll have an upstream battle that will sure put you behind or drown you in its wake. And really, what is more comfortable than being prepared?
I found Mr. Bugeja's views on traditional vs. current methods of information gathering sad, the same way I would a twelve year old hanging on to his/her blanky is sad. Thats not to say that fundementals of journalism should be forsaken mind you. The fact of the matter is that the industry of news media is shifting in result of the the resources avalible. If Mr. Bugeja was teaching a math class would he stop after additon and subtraction for fear of the diluting and lazy effects of multiplication and division? I hope not. Mr. Bugeja is right that in institutions the fundementals should be taught. Good old fashioned information gathering should not be a lost art, but lets face some facts. Technology has shortened the distance from A to B and made breaking news and information more avalible to reporters who would have had to possably travel to get information. Rather than follow a story by foot they can do so by broadband connection, or connect to the source who is doing the footwork. Since technology has become such a big part of the process the speed in which news breaks is strides ahead of what it once was. The biggest problem in my eyes is the amount of jobs lost and drowned in the wake of technologies romance with news media. But, there is little or nothing to do but adjust and conform. How many number crunchers in the 80 lost careers to computers? How many factory workers and craftsmen lost jobs to machines throughout history?
Technology has always had the purpose to do a job better than the way it had been done before, reguardless if it was a human who had that job. Shop at Ikea or Waldbaums in long Beach and you can, if you want be rung by an automated cashier( if paying by credit card). It seems that the heavy hand of technology has reached journalism and grass roots like Mr. Bugeja are fighting it. Rather than fight it, or cautsion it an effort in the direction of chnage should be made. Institutions should try to develope new curriculum that applies to today's industry standards while retaining the grass roots methods as a foundation the way simple addition and subtractions are the basis of all things math. Swim with the trends and shifts because if not you'll have an upstream battle that will sure put you behind or drown you in its wake. And really, what is more comfortable than being prepared?
