Save Journalism, Save the World

Charlie Beckett's thought provoking statements in the introduction and first chapter of his book, Super Media, Saving Journalism So It Can Save the World, bring up many questions that I haven't even thought of.  His introduction is jam packed with brilliant ideas that pave the way for a great book. 

I like how he says that he doesn't pretend to be objective, but instead he aims to be fair, accurate, and thorough.  The changes that Beckett says are taking place in journalism, offer an immense opportunity for growth and what he believes is a whole new type of journalism.  Networked Journalism is a new way of practicing journalism where there isn't just the journalist working for the news outlet.  Now there are citizen journalists, interactivity, blogging, microblogging, and social networking that are all an indispensable part of the production and distribution of news.

I love the link Beckett has taken from Professor Roger Silverstone who compares journalism to the environment.  Journalism is facing its own kind of global warming.  Beckett estimates that we have "five years - perhaps ten - to save journalism so that journalism can save the world."  What would a world without journalism look like?


How will it be easier to deal with issues going on in the world with this "cosmopolitan, interactive 'audience'"?


Do you think the lack of diversity in journalism is because of the media corporations telling people what they can and cannot write about? Or do you think it is because of something else?  With blogging will we or have we begun to see diversity? And if so has the diversity been publicized?

On page 21 Beckett talks about the loss of the audience in mainstream news media.  The way I see it, because broadband is not being reached to everyone, we will still not reach all audiences online and some that may have gotten their news on television will not be able to go online.  How can we make up for that? Or how can that gap be fixed?


Here is an article that talks about how "computer nerds" could save journalism.  It was published in Time magazine online a few months ago.