Tomorrow’s News, Tomorrow’s Journalists: What’s the goal of young journalism bloggers?
We can serve as a resource
TNTJ brings the youth of the industry together to pool our knowledge. The experiences we have within the industry and within j-school can catalog the attitudes that not only the youthful journalists but the young, web-minded audience have toward the MSM.
Our knowledge, our innovations and the projects we work on may become a stepping stone for potential journalists of the future; we can inspire, encourage and foster the next generation (yes, it’s a bit heady, so I’m ambitious?).
Moreover our work across the globe might be lost or buried for other media professionals — except we can discuss and promote what we’re working on to each other so we can work together to change and maybe “save journalism.”
We can also teach other. As a younger journalist I’m constantly bombarded with the idea of “multiple skillsets.” I understand and cultivate this idea however it’s difficult to learn everything. So instead of trying to plow through my self education solo, why not use the TNTJ blog-ring and social network as another learning tool? (Side note: For a great example of this last point check out Andrew Dunn’s crowdsourced online journalism glossary and other tips.)
A voice to the establishment
OK, without sounding like a hippy, I think this group of blog can be a virtual collective of dissent against the curmudgeons, man. We understand the power of the web. We’ve grown with it and we use it professionally and personally.
Crusty old ideas won’t work online and we can show them why since our group isn’t just a bunch of journalists — we are young news consumers. I know about stories, ideas and advertisements that work or affect the younger audience because I am the younger audience.
The MSM tries to tap into the millenial market and who better to discuss the effectiveness of their efforts than people from that market?
Final thoughts
TNTJ wields a lot of potential. I see us as a collection of young media-minded people who aren’t afraid to share our ideas with each other. We can influence the fate and face of journalism, and we should.
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