Blog Post 1- Principles of Journailsm

Journalism is a form of communication that informs, educates, and helps the "people" that they serve to decide for themselves on various newsworthy topics throughout the world. Whether it is about war or celebrities journalism can derive out of a variety of sources. Generally where their is news you will find journalism.

As technology, particularly the internet, becomes more prevalent journalism is starting to take on a new form. In the past journalism was only controlled by so few people. Newspapers, television, and radio were the mediums which journalism and the news was articulated. The internet created a new medium that allowed more people to have a platform to express themselves and create journalism on their own. We could even go as far as saying that the homemaker who blogs about the birth of their new child, or the recent trip to Disneyland is creating journalism.

The internet has as well changed the definition of a journalists. Journalists were before what we could classify as the "informers", or those that were in the know. Journalists did the work to find out about newsworthy stories. They went to lengths that the general public didn't, or made connections that others couldn't. It was then their responsibility to clearly and concisely inform the public of the issues, or news, so that it could be understood.

Journalists are people who care about their community and those involved within them. The internet, again, has made it possible for more people to become journalists, and communicate news to their virtual community. It has made it possible, and lucrative in some cases, to create their own community who share the same passions and care about the same issues for cheap and far reaching.

Sadly the internet has forced established journalists and news organization to change the way they operate. It has cut jobs and forced companies to seek revenue in other forms besides through their printed newspaper as people have gone to the internet to get their news instead of picking up a paper. It has forced journalists as well to expand their skills and be able to communicate through different mediums.

When the Daily Universe made the decision to switch to a weekly instead of daily print it came as no shock. Despite the fact that it was a student run paper that was free to students (they weren't actually trying to generate revenue from subscriptions) I think it was an important move to adapt to the changing landscape of news. It forced the newspaper to explore other ways of engaging the people they serve, which is more realistic to what they would expect as they look for jobs. Students still have the opportunity to write as many articles as they did before, however the difference is that it will allow them to be more prepared to enter the workforce as journalists.