We’ve established that the landscape is changing for the media in Australia, and indeed the world. It seems that media agencies the world over are feeling their way through the current scenario – and most with no small amount of trepidation.
Ron Reed, of News Ltd points out “I don’t know what the long-term future is for newspapers and I doubt that the publishers do, either. We are currently in uncharted waters _ nobody knows for sure what lies over the horizon.”
Inevitably, when change occurs – or businesses prepare for change – there are casualties. There have been a number of high profile redundancies at both Fairfax and News Ltd in recent months. Says Reed, “Both companies have, as a matter of policy, recently shed a lot of journalistic talent, experience and technical know-how which must inevitably have an effect on standards. It will be interesting to see how long it takes for the readership to react to that, and whether that increases the pressure on circulations.”
So we now see established businesses some well over 100 years old, not exactly knowing what their next move is.
One thing we can probably say for certain is that if someone gets it right, it will be revolutionary.
But is it reasonable to ask at what cost it might come? Will we sacrifice the high standards of reporting, the impeccably balanced dissemination and analysis? Surely, the talent that has walked out the door at News and Fairfax recently will negatively affect the way we receive information. I think we may be taking this for granted. We need a strong media. A press core which invests heavily in the talent on offer, rather than suppressing it.
What is it that we love about the media? What is it that we loathe about the media?
Have a think about the compromises you would be prepared to make in receiving your information via the press – and more importantly, think about the compromises you wouldn’t be prepared to make.
It's a disgrace that Australians' trust in the local media is lower than virtually any other country in the developed world. According to a study by Edelman public relations, only 32% of us feel trusting toward our media compared to a global average of 49%.
So is this because the big players are getting lazy.... or because the market has been flooded with smaller online outlets - who don't endure the same regulatory scrutiny as the big players?
I’d love to see some pre-emptive action from high end news outlets to endorse the great art of writing and bring it back into the public’s consciousness. Promote it against the 140 character news breaks that seem to be all the rage today. Instead of the Herald Sun publishing 25 half-column news snippets on footy each day, why not publish 5 large in-depth pieces which explore the issue thoroughly? And then devote more than just half a page to lower-profile sports?
I hope that news agencies remember what is great and noble about journalism and ensure they work to preserve it, regardless of external factors. There should be a premium placed on the art of a fine investigation combined with eloquent reportage.
There is something pure about the fluent telling of a story that needs to be told. I hope that it doesn’t leave us at the expense of the fast-paced, sound-bite shaped missives that we see in online media. Frankly, they often reek of laziness.
There must be an engagement with the audience. Writers should aim to convey nuanced layers of information coated in sharp doses of colour – at once entertaining and informing.
Good journalism shows restraint yet digs to the core of an issue. It builds trust both with its subject and with its audience. It is the light and shade of a story which makes it compelling.
Above all, the media is necessary. You may not realise it. You may not think too hard about it. But its purpose in our lives is undeniable.
Hi Adam,
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome blog you have created. You have an eloquence of speech and indepth understanding of media, marketing an the online space.
"There should be a premium placed on the art of a fine investigation combined with eloquent reportage.
There is something pure about the fluent telling of a story that needs to be told."
I absolutely agree with you above comments, I to look forward to the day (coming soon) where the general public better value quality journalism and investigative reporting, as opposed to celebrity gossip and fashion reviews. (Which have their place in certain places)
I look forward to reading your more of you work.
Cheers,
Sky