Journalism in Crisis?

Abstract

This article considers several questions pertaining to the current state of journalism. The discussion explores the meaning of journalism and journalists, as well as considering the role of journalists in an increasingly digital environment. The article concludes by exploring journalism in the future and why this all matters. A major theme of this discussion (and the articles in this special issue) is whether journalism is currently in crisis. Finally, an example is offered exemplifying the complexity of issues that surround journalism today.

The Views of Online Media Journalists About Implementation of the Truth Principle in Covering Event of 212 Reunion

“…He said that the portray of the truth means it does not use a speculation language. This is in accordance with Russial who said that without accuracy and clarity, the report is a waste of time [3].…”

“…According to Rodny-Gumede and Colin Chasi these elements serve as the groundwork of ethical road map and codes of conduct for journalists in working in the field [2]. Furthermore, according to Russial et al "news is socially constructed", and journalists are the producer of news [3]. As it said by Kovach and Rosenstiel [1], journalists and their news stories stand for several elements including a commitment to the truth and a verification.…”

The Future of Journalism as a System, Profession and Culture: The Perception of Journalism Students

“…This perspective can be amplifi ed by the well-known discrepancy between the principles of journalism and professional practice within the context of the Serbian media system. Although the crisis of journalism can be considered to be global (McChesney, 2003;Russial et al, 2015), its local shape clearly emerges from the students' narratives. The students have outlined almost all the challenges that journalism in Serbia faces, and demonstrated an excellent understanding of the national media landscape.…”

“…In order to deconstruct and systematize the students' discourses, we have started with the same question that has guided many scholars: 'What is (legacy) journalism?' (Deuze, 2005;Hartley, 1999;McNair, 2005;Russial et al, 2015). As Deuze (2004: 276) notes, journalism can be observed as 'a profession, as a social system, or as a certain set of practices and skills enacted by the particular group of "news workers" in the context of media organizations'.…”

Connections Betwen Trust in Journalism and Patterns of Media Use

“…As internet technologies continue to free us from fi xed scheduling, we can expect patterns of media use to become even less uniform (Moody, 2011). While some researchers emphasise positive characteristics of fragmentation, such as the availability of the numerous sources of information and the resistivity of the internet to exertion of control (Fenton, 2010), others emphasise that its ability to empower the audience in the production of news (e.g., participatory and civic journalism) comes at a price as this can, among other things, "deinstitutionalise" classical journalism to a certain degree (Russial et al, 2015). The processes of "disintermediation" (Chadwick, 2006) -the undermining of the "common meeting ground and debate [of] contrasting views" (Mancini, 2013: 51) -means that the classic media's role in enabling refl ective and objective coverage of important political issues and putting them on a public agenda for further public scrutiny and deliberation, in analogy to the classic idea of the public sphere, is disintegrating.…”