Just yesterday Roy Peter Clark of Poynteronline wrote an article in which he expresses his fear of the lost interest in picking up a newspaper and reading it. Clark says "If we believe in a future of journalism, we've got to pitch in." Clark admits that for a while he too lost interest in the newspaper and strayed away for awhile. He says he noticed a problem when he realized that "The first thing I touched in the morning and that last thing I touched at night was the TV remote." This is all coming from a journalist who has a passion about news. What does this mean for the future of journalism?
Clark stresses that "The future of journalism, not just newspapers, depends on such loyalty." He also emphasizes the "paper, not pixels." Clark is well aware you can receive your daily update and news from a news broadcast or online sources, but here lies the dilemma; how will we pay for journalism in the future? Where will salaries for quality journalists or editors come from? Clark hopes we find some new business model that will be able to support the journalism profession, but until then, "we've got to support what we have," Clark says.
If one wants to be an informed citizen in the place where they are living, there is absolutely no substitute for a local daily newspaper, Clark explains. Clark ends his argument by saying, "I have no proof, but a strong feeling, that even journalists, especially young ones working at newspapers, don't read the paper. That feels wrong to me -- and self-defeating."
Moral of the story: Journalist or not, pick up the newspaper. It's now your duty.
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