Google has not killed the future of journalism

A lot has been said about Google`s complicity in the death of a host of traditional media, such as radio, music and, of course, print journalism. Many people decry the death of proper investigative journalism and lay the responsibility squarely at Google`s door. Google`s size and it`s fairly global dominance make it an obvious and easy scapegoat for a multitude of traditional failings. Why look at the inner workings and mechanics of a traditional establishment in search of the real problem and a constructive solution when the Big G is there just waiting to be blamed. And with IT and algorithms still being so hazy in many people`s minds, it`s all too easy to get away with it.

While Google gets the short end of the stick, Steve Rosenbaum has come out with guns blazing at the commercial nature of journalism. He believes that journalism died when ratings and revenue became more important than news, and that was a long time ago. According to Rosenbaum, the formerly distinct line between entertainment and news was erased. Producers chose to broadcast only the stories that they considered “newsworthy”, which invariably meant the ones that would attract the most viewers, boost ratings and secure advertising.

And then politics got involved. Freedom of the press became a contradiction in terms. While they are superficially seen to report on anything that they think the public needs to know, and to publish/print/broadcast all stories that they cover, they are in fact being increasingly bound by government interference and being censored to make public only what is deemed prudent or acceptable. This is true for many countries; the ones that supposedly embrace all freedoms, such as the US, as well as the ones that are openly opposed to an informed public, such as Zimbabwe.

Much as major record labels are suffering with the burgeoning online music industry, so is big media, but as Rosenbaum points out, music and news themselves are flourishing. The music industry has never been a more exciting or vibrant place, as new artists rely on their technological savvy and the appreciation of an informed online audience to attract public attention. News has also never been more widespread and publicly disseminated as it is now with blogging, micro-blogging, Twitter, social media networks, forums, chat rooms and the like. And this, Rosenbaum says, is what journalism is all about: free and open debate, reviews, opinions and the exposure of misdeeds.

According to Jason Lee Millar, life has become too fast for print. People don`t waste their time buying and reading newspapers when they can check the news quickly while they`re online. But while this is convenient it does mean that there is less revenue for media corporations to employ professional journalists who spend weeks, months and maybe even years following a story. Proper investigative journalism is at risk and not the basic reporting of news and events that are picked up and carried around the web in an infinite variety of forms by as many people.

News is still dictated by popular demand, with the most entertaining stories topping the most informative ones as they do the rounds on the net. According to Millar`s article, a possible solution to this problem is to produce news in the form of wikis, leaving stories open to continuous editing in the hopes that they will be followed to their natural conclusions, and that many contributors will get closer to the truth than one alone.

The bottom line is that the internet has changed and will continue to change the way in which we conduct our lives. We can`t expect things to evolve yet remain the same. We need to be able to adapt if we don`t want to be left behind. Millar raises the point that people of his generation, which is also my generation (those of us older than 25), are still able to live on both sides of the fence. We like our newspapers but we also like the convenience of online news. I buy weekend papers because it brings me a sense of comfort to sprawl them all over the floor while I read about the latest disasters, political upheavals and quirky events that have happened all over the world. During the week, however, I get my news online.

In my heart I am probably one of the romantics that Millar refers to, those who embrace the quaint mode of communication that newspapers have become. Perhaps it`s because I love the printed word in all forms and will be sorry to see any of it go. On the other hand, news online offers so much more variety, and it`s possible to get a more holistic view of a story as you can see it from many different angles.

I don`t generally sit on the fence, as I find it a most uncomfortable place to be, but in this case I think I`ll get a pillow and settle in for as long as the battle for journalism rages.