Blogpost 8: marketing journalism

As social media, television news, and TV in general become more popular it becomes easier to identify and no those who are reporting the news. Celebrity journalist like Chris Matthews or Anderson Cooper are becoming more and more popular in mainstream media. In fact in many cases you will actually see many journalists who are promoting themselves through their own website, Twitter, or Facebook pages. There can be both advantages and disadvantages to self-promotion within journalism. One of the main disadvantages that can happen through self-promotion is failing to serve your base honestly and faithfully. As journalists try to promote themselves they may tend to forget their responsibility to reporting the news. For example, they may want to go after stories that are more nationally known so they can get recognition on a national stage versus serving their own community with the stories that are more relevant. Another disadvantage to promoting yourself to become a celebrity journalist might do with their sources. As journalist become more well known it might be harder for them to up team stories where people have to go on record or if they show up to a seen the police were firemen may do their best to keep that journalist out or to cover up part of the story. I personally think probably the biggest disadvantage it serves them is whether or not they can be perceived as being genuine in their work. As journalist try to promote themselves they can come off as self-serving rather than public serving entities. Journalist trying to promote themselves often seem like they're trying to get theirs instead of actually trying to genuinely covering a story. This can lead them to being alienated from their readers. I do think that there can't be some advantages to self-promotion in journalism. One being that the more popular they can become the more clout they can hold while covering a story. As I mentioned before sometimes this can be a disadvantage of being well-known however in some cases in my game then access to sources or leads that others might not have. For example, they might be able to get calls from businesses or politicians who are trying to get a story out in the public and would like to have somebody who is more well-known publish their story. Like any business the more you promote yourself the more connections you make more connections you make the more successful you are going to be. I also think that it can be an advantage for journalists to be well-known because they can become more trusted in their work. Journalists were well-known usually can be more trusted because they're held to a higher standard. They have more people watching them. I think an example of this was Walter Cronkite who was the most trusted man in America. I believe as he became more famous and people listen to him more he was held to a higher standard and people trusted him more because he knew that he had eight people to serve and to make sure he got things right. Again I think there can be both advantages and disadvantages of self-promotion within journalism. It is a fine line that they must walk in order to not alienate those they serve or to be thrill seekers within journalism. They must maintain their integrity and be able to report the news and honest and fair way. If they do that I think they would become just like a flash in a pan and not be up to sustain their celebrity like status.