What is the greatest problem facing journalists today?

Question

What is the greatest problem facing journalists today?

Answer 1

How about this?
One night, probably in 1880, John Swinton, then the preeminent New York journalist, was the guest of honour at a banquet given him by the leaders of his craft. Someone who knew neither the press nor Swinton offered a toast to the independent press. Swinton outraged his colleagues by replying:
"There is no such thing, at this date of the world's history, in America, as an independent press. You know it and I know it.
There is not one of you who dares to write your honest opinions, and if you did, you know beforehand that it would never appear in print. I am paid weekly for keeping my honest opinion out of the paper I am connected with. Others of you are paid similar salaries for similar things, and any of you who would be so foolish as to write honest opinions would be out on the streets looking for another job. If I allowed my honest opinions to appear in one issue of my paper, before twenty-four hours my occupation would be gone.
"The business of the journalists is to destroy the truth, to lie outright, to pervert, to vilify, to fawn at the feet of mammon, and to sell his country and his race for his daily bread.
You know it and I know it, and what folly is this toasting an independent press?
We are the tools and vassals of rich men behind the scenes. We are the jumping jacks, they pull the strings and we dance. Our talents, our possibilities and our lives are all the property of other men. We are intellectual prostitutes."

Sadly all true.

Answer 2

Keeping credibility while preserving the true nature of reporting the facts. These day journalist are threatened to imbellish or should I just say lie too beef up a story. Make it sound more exciting or appealing to a reader. In other cases they are asked to omit information so not to offend or cross the wrong people. I say report what you know. Report what you have witnessed and the message your trying to get through to those who read, hear or watch. Use common sense which I find lacking these day when reporting a story. Know what your saying and think outside the box. Put yourself on the outside looking and truly see where your headed with your message. The media plays favorites. Something it should know better not to do. Then again it's the media they do what they want. Thanks for the points.

Answer 3

Ethics and accountability.

So many journalists try to sensationalize stories in order to garner more attention for themselves, instead of just reporting the news. It's pathetic.

Organizations like the Poynter Institute try to set bounds, but there's no real accountability, unless the harm is grevious.

The bottom line is that good people get hurt all the time by unethical journalists, and those journalists are able to hide behind their media corporations' team of lawyers and major resources.

Answer 4

Their bosses.

Reporters can put together a great story, but their boss doesn't like it because it isn't sensational enough or caters to a certain angle.

Another reason a boss may not approve it is because the bosses fear the story may be deemed too controversial and /or offend viewers and/or some of the advertisers that pay the salaries and the bills. Can't have a newspaper or TV network without advertising dollars.

That's why you see so much sensationalism in news today....trying to report things first and/or please the bosses.

Answer 5

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Answer 6

Their ethics, credibility, the fact that their bias is coming through in everything they write about (and it should NOT be biased -- just a presentation of the facts), and ... most importantly -- the amount of time they take to actually DO some research instead of just making things up to fit whatever they think needs to be said.

Answer 7

Personal ethics.

Answer 8

i think it's fear of becoming mediocre. and the media make these strenuous promises that when interviews come around they ask bullshivic questions. i think they're problem is not knowing where to "point" their gifts. they have talent, but can they make it work?

Answer 9

trying to be honest....i was a cop and i swear, when i read the newspaper, nothing was reported correctly or honestly...