I urge newsagents to read the edited version of the Andrew Olle lecture delivered Friday night by Mark Colvin, respected journalist and presenter of ABC radio’s flagship PM program. Colvin gets to the heart of challenges facing journalism and media outlets, he talks about facts and truth … and makes a lot of sense. The last paragraph sums up the core message:
If we want a world where journalists can be paid to tell the truth we have to negotiate these massive changes at the same time. Good journalism – journalism of integrity – is a social good and an essential part of democracy. We have to do everything we can to try to preserve it.
I find it interesting when reading about the “death of print media” that the fallout
from it only extends to journalists (in their humble opinion).
What about logistics companies, newsagents, etc etc etc.
I know we enter a world of “commercial risk” when we purchase any SME but when
journalists lose their job they are not losing their lifetime investment as well as
their income and they can re-train and find
another job (career) if they so desire.
Many newsagents will lose their homes if
they haven’t paid their distribution businesses off.
What about all the people that newsagents’ employ? They will lose their
jobs too but for some reason it is never mentioned in the same sentence as the
“death of print media”.
The digitization of the media has exploded
amongst us and journalists are now dinosaurs just like us.
We all have to move on into this Brave New World but some will lose more than others and it should be acknowledged by
the self-serving journos who get no sympathy from me.
The bloke on Australian Story was the obvious exception – he seemed like a great
guy who pursued the truth of a story at
(sometimes) great cost to himself e.g.
the Lindy Chamberlain saga. It was quite
humbling to watch him walk away from his
office albeit he was of retirement age and probably got a nice super with which to retire.
A beautiful analyses of the situation but an awful and frightening spectre of the future.
The “London Evening Standard” example is just bloody scary.
T2020 will extend the life of some of us – but why does it take so long to get it off the ground.