This has long been discussed and lamented by journos - the erosion of journalism standards by business and shareholder demands, but it's worth highlighting again.
Profit margins have to be redefined for sure, but can we really expect our new business leaders to care about journalism? Or will they dump their stock and look for a more profitable company when the financial crunch hits too hard?
And the truth is, even if we stop whining and try and work to preserve the future of our industry, will we be able to save it?
Profit and the press: Reporting only what sells
By DAVID DIZON
abs-cbnNEWS.com
How does mass media, known also as the Fourth Estate, balance the need to make a profit while providing correct, important and relevant information to their readers?
Journalism professors and media practitioners had a crash course on the subject during the first day of the 17th Asian Media Information and Communication Center (AMIC) Annual Conference held at the Manila Hotel on Monday.
Prof. Ian Richards of the University of South Australia said the press remains as important as ever as consumers continue to look for news on radio, TV, print or online.
He added, however, that some newsrooms and journalism schools are being handled by managers with business backgrounds; people who have no deep appreciation of the role of the press in society.
"Their first and last priority is the bottomline: Is the newsroom making a profit? This focus on business ethics can have a significant impact in newsrooms as well as journalism schools," Richards said. MORE
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment