According to the latest Pew Research study on the state of the media, cutbacks and the ability to use the internet to bypass the media gatekeepers and deliver information directly to consumers is resulting in poorer journalism.
Lauren Indvik reports that the study claims there are less than 40,000 people working in news, the lowest number since 1978. Pew claims the cutbacks are resulting in a degradation of the quality of journalism and they point to the fact that “daytime coverage of live events fell 30% from 2007, while interview segments — which don’t require a full crew and correspondent, and can be scheduled ahead of time — rose 31%.”
How interview segments providing deeper analysis and exploration of stories and events results in a lower quality of journalism isn’t really explained as Pew merely reaches that conclusion as a de facto given.
Pew also laments the fact that the Internet and social media has allowed companies to “speak to consumers directly rather than through paid or earned placements in media.” This may be a bad thing for the balance sheets at the major media industrial complex, but it’s a good thing for consumers and newsmakers as they can communicate without being beholden to the NY Times, Corp, Washington Post, Inc. and other biased corporate conglomerates.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.