Contrary to popular belief, journalism is not dying. It is merely changing.

Ok, drastically changing, but still. 

As a student at the University of Colorado (for four more weeks), I have spent my college career working on the CU newspaper. Just in my seven semesters working for the publication, a lot has changed. We went from a weekly print edition to a weekly print plus daily online to just a daily online publication. We are on the cutting edge of journalism.

The CU Independent is entirely online – which, I believe, is where journalism is headed. We hear about newspapers folding left and right. Why pay to get a printed copy of something you can read online for free at your convenience?

With all the new smartphones, people can get their news just about anywhere.

While this fact is deemed negative to many, I believe this change in the field is quite positive. First of all, we can’t stop technology from advancing. We have to advance with it. By using blogs, social networking sites, youtube and other online tools, we can adapt to the changes and keep up with the times.

This is especially good news for recent or upcoming graduates. We are “in the loop” and companies will be looking to hire young, fresh minds that are technologically advanced. 

The Internet allows readers to pick and choose what they read. They can search for specific topics of interest, specific reliable Web sites, they can hone down their news so they get exactly what they want. 

While the industry may be changing from printed editions to online publications, it is still the same industry. It is still a public service – our goal as journalists is to produce relevant, newsworthy, articles that are fair and balanced and accurately represent the situation at hand. Sometimes, I feel, that mission sometimes gets lost as people instantly upload “news” to the Web. 

We still need to fact check. We still need to spell check. We still need to uphold journalistic ethics and standards regardless of whether the publication is printed or posted to the Internet. The venue doesn’t matter – it’s the actual writing that does. 

It is the obligation of every journalist out there to maintain the integrity of the industry. Even though it is changing, it is not dying – unless we stop reporting and writing like real journalists.

Here are some articles you might find interesting: 

The Fate of Journalism: The End to Newspapers and the Rise of the Internet? 

Fate of newspaper industry challenges journalism schools 

The Fate of Journalism