Philadelphia Weekly article covers the “death” of journalism

As a student at Temple University I’m enjoying an abundance of daily and weekly publications, in fact there’s too many to read them all. The cover story for this week’s issue made me stop and browse through the little tabloid (and make me slightly late for my Design for Journalists class).

“Journalism is Dead? Then why am I teaching it to hundreds of college students?” exemplifies the enthusiasm of innovative educators and young journalists. The Temple-News provided staffers and alumni to comment on how they feel about journalism.

Since I don’t want to summarize the article (it’s a quick, engaging read), I’d highlight the main point: journalism isn’t dead, it’s evolving.

This evolution will change the medium, it’ll change the methods and it’ll change the journalists. Fedora-wearing gumshoes with trench coats and reporter’s notebooks aren’t dead (metaphorically), they’ve just added some tools, changed some perspectives and filled up those pockets with audio recorders, video cameras and possibly carry a laptop. Well, the fedoras might be gone.

Then why all the doom and gloom? Because change is scary. The old guard is afraid they’re not necessary anymore. The product is necessary, the process needs work.

Young journalists won’t back down. Journalism is in my blood. It’s a splinter needling in your brain, sometimes getting you in trouble. That’s a good thing folks. Enthusiasm and new skillsets will keep journalism alive. It might not be on dead trees, but it’ll be alive.