A reflection on the current journalism industry

ST. LOUIS - At first, my dreams as a student journalist were fairly lofty.

I wanted to become a journalist to educate and inform using the media. To document and preserve history for future generations. To travel the world and document it for a living. To gain access to places others cannot go.

However, there are three major issues that multiplatform journalists face that often makes me rethink my resolve.

First is the overall online harassment of journalists. This spans from general harassment through the comment section, to extreme cases of doxxing, when a notable person’s private information, including their contact information, address, family members and banking information, is released on the internet.

Second is journalism being seen as redundant. With many newsrooms being closed, the remaining journalists are expected to be skilled in the entire journalistic process from start to finish. This is coupled with the fact that most people have smartphones with cameras and other functionalities. The larger, legacy media organizations can no longer gatekeep the spread of information, as ordinary people can go to social media to post and consume news, media and content. Journalists are also heading to social media to gain sources and visuals from angles they cannot obtain themselves.

Third is adapting to newer technologies. Print is out and digital is in. With technology advancing faster than the media can match, many problems arise, from learning how to make new forms of media to dealing with fair use issues.

As a journalism student, there are idols that I look up to and wish to emulate when I enter the industry. When I think of Anderson Cooper and Maria Ressa, I wonder how they stood strong to many of journalism’s challenges and oftentimes certain death.

There are many ways to navigate the challenges. Firstly, for doxxing, there are not only tips on how to prevent it from happening, but also tools for completely removing your private information from the internet. In addition, a journalist can stay relevant by learning how to use and tell stories with the new media technologies that arise, from video to virtual reality.