Duty of a Journalist

What is the duty of a journalist?What is our responsibility?Of course one duty is to keep the public informed and knowledgeable of the daily happenings in our society but, I believe there is a deeper responsibility.

To evolve.

As we all know,the world is constantly evolving in all aspects and with the current downturn of the economy,the field of Journalism has no choice but to go along for the ride. Journalism has been evolving since the beginning of its existence in order to stay revelant. With so many newspapers going under, there was a scramble in the field to revamp.Journalists needed to choose an outlet that would generate income and at the same time, keep the fundamentals of journalism.Hence, the old and new model of journalism.

In the text that Professor Tracy provided to us,she referred to this model as the "better hybrid model that combines the best of both".She goes on to say that "while many may squawk in alarm and anxiety,the millions of people using the internet illustrate that society is now ready for this next stage in the evolution of communication."This statement proves to be true in every aspect if you look at the number of individuals that use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter daily. The Internet has almost become a necessity to have. Everyone is in the process of trying to capitalize off of the success of the Internet and it is about time that Journalism got on board. Instead of trying to fight the inevitable, it is time for us to embrace it and figure out ways to incorporate the new with the old.

Yes,the Ann Arbor News took a risk by turning into a online publication but, once they perfect the site,it will pay off. The online format does need some work but, it is a good example of the hybrid format that Tracy referred to.One feature that the News did not have before was the capability for readers to comment and respond in a timely manner while the news was still fresh and new.

Countless eyes are undoubtedly upon the News and whether or not they will succeed.For the sake of Journalism,hopefully they will.Their success (or failure) will ultimately set the precedent as to whether or not Journalism will sink or stay afloat.