You may have noticed that, over the last decade, the journalism industry has changed quite a bit. To keep up with technological advancements and the public’s need for real-time updates, the journalism industry has had to adapt. Here are some of ways the journalism industry has changed indefinitely to stay afloat.
The need for clicks and views is significant for any news industry these days. People are not going to click on an article that doesn’t seem attractive to them, so the media has had to get creative with their headlines. People want entertainment, so having an appealing headline can compel readers to engage with the latest journalistic articles or videos. Unfortunately, more sensational headlines come with a few drawbacks. For example, some well-respected news organizations have had to backtrack after writing sensational stories. The New York Post suffered tremendously after posting a misleading headline that wrongfully speculated that two individuals pictured in a crowd during the Boston Marathon bombing could potentially be the bombers.
Some media outlets are losing money with the rise in social media. To adjust, posting updates in haste has led to increased competition and a higher likelihood of errors. Media outlets are always trying to get the breaking story so they can get the most clicks. When rushing a story, news outlets could share misleading information that could potentially incriminate someone or ruin a business. Media outlets should try to get the story straight through fact-checking methods, which have also garnered more popularity and importance over the past few years.
Many media outlets have had to change the way they earn revenue. For example, many outlets are dependent on social media to get their stories out to the public. Other journalists who have large followings have taken advantage of crowdsourcing and fundraising sites to receive money and give their paying fans exclusive content the public wouldn’t otherwise be able to access
In the past, journalists didn’t insert their political bias in their reporting in order not to alienate their readers. Over the past few years, journalists and columnists have become encouraged to write about their political leanings. Internet culture has also played a role in this development due to the rise in desire for timely updates and hyper-relevant material. Political-based writing is very much part of the news media now.
At its core, journalism has not changed all that much; journalists still strive to gather information, verify their sources, present these findings in digestible formats, and reach their audiences. While the methods and practices have certainly shifted in numerous ways, journalism as an industry continues to grow, adapt, and evolve with the times.