Norris Steps Down from NPR

Journalists must remain objective at all times. Without it, we would lose our credibility and trust from the public.

Identifying conflicts of interest isn't difficult. A football player can't cover the homecoming football game, student body president can't report on the latest developments in student government and a fraternity president can't write a story about Greek week.

The Huffington Post reported that Michele Norris of NPR's 'All Things Considered' will step down from her hosting duties while her husband joins the Obama campaign.

Norris made the only decision she could in her situation. As journalists, we must remain objective and unbiased in order to maintain our credibility.

While it is unlikely that Norris would have interviewed her own husband, he is still a part of the Obama team. For instance, a sports reporters should not cover a game if their spouse is a player on the team.

Reporters who are in these situations need to separate their personal and professional lives. The balance may come down to, as in Norris's case, choosing a spouse over work. Ultimately, this decision may seem unfair, but it was necessary for Norris to maintain her credibility for her journalistic. future.

Photo by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com

Read more...

Keeping Up With the Citizens

Who ever said journalists are so special from everybody else? The political analysts sure aren't. Not with Google in charge.

That's because Google's Politics & Elections blog is making it easier for ordinary citizens to become political analysts for the rest of the world. Jake Parillo, part of Google's Politics & Elections team, announced on Monday that the team is asking for citizens to use Google's tools- Google Insights for Search, Google Trends,and Google Correlate, for example- to help the Google team discover political or election trends across the country.

People now have the ability to research and analyze their own political stories. But will they make use of it? Will these tools become commonplace with the average family? Hard to tell. Poynter.org reported last month that out of all the time people spend on the internet, only 2.6 percent of it is spent on current events or global news (22.5 percent of their time is spent on social media websites, and 35.1 percent is spent on website types not specified in the survey, including- yep- pornography). Google's bet seems to be that customizing political coverage for the average Joe is what will make people pay attention to the political world swirling around them, but the real question is whether citizens will put in the extra effort.

One thing is clear, though: if journalists plan on competing with the serious amateur news sources these days, reporters should be the first to dive in to this new technology.

Photo by Danny Sullivan/Creativecommons.org

Read more...

Minorities in Media

Stories featuring minorities in print and broadcast media have always been limited, causing some minorities groups to discontinue their consumption of news that they cannot relate to.

The Internet was suppose to fix this problem because it is has unlimited space and publishers.

Online culture is not held back by the institutionalized habits of legacy newsrooms, and this is a post-racial society.

Coverage is expected to cover all different lifestyles, including class, race, geography, generation, and gender.

A yearlong study by the Robert C. Maynard Institute for Journalism Education examined mainstream online media and identified the coverage of different minority groups.

The conclusion was that online media still has the same problems as traditional media when it comes to covering minorities.

The Huffington Post featured the greatest diversity of stories. Salon and Slate came in last with the fewest stories covering diversity.

African Americans are the minority most covered, although many of these stories are about celebrities and athletes. Stories about Hispanics tend to focus on the issue of immigration.

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, minorities are 36 percent of our population, but this statistics doesn't correlate with the amount of coverage minorities receive.

Photo Credit: Joseph Girmay

Read more...

Introducing the iPhone...4S.

After weeks of speculation and hope of Apple debuting the highly-anticipated iPhone 5...they didn't.

Apple, instead, unveiled an upgraded iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S, which includes an 8 mega pixel camera, a more powerful processor, and a new voice activated personal assistant called Siri. But, it's not the iPhone 5.

Nevertheless, the new upgrades can have a big effect on reporting and journalism, according to Jeff Sonderman at Poynter.

He notes the 5 things that journalists can benefit from most with the iPhone 4S and the iOS 5 operating system.

1. Price drop for older models: The new phone is leading to the older versions' price dropping. It's now easier and cheaper to join the iPhone revolution.

2. The 8 mega pixel camera: Pictures and video can be taken faster and with better quality than ever before. Come across a news story on the go? This camera makes capturing multimedia even stronger.

3. Safari reading mode: The Safari Web browser now comes equipped with a tool to make articles easier to read by stripping away ads and promotional materials, although many publishers are likely to not be fans.

4. Newsstand: There is now a separate store for buying and reading magazines and newspapers, making it even easier to get news on the go.

5. Twitter Integration: With Twitter becoming a huge piece of reporting, journalists will likely enjoy the new closer integration with Twitter that allows users to tweet directly.

While the iPhone 4S may not exactly be the iPhone 5, journalists should still take a look into it and see the benefits it offers.

Read more...

It is a Digital Era, There is Always Coverage

I have grown immensely frustrated with the Occupy Wall Street protest, but not in the way that would be the obvious assumption.

When browsing several news blogs I happened across another article talking about the Occupy Wall Street campaign in New York. The article was informative in my opinion; however, one line from the article sparked frustration. The section of the story was talking about Occupy Wall Street claiming to not have been getting enough media coverage. And, while this complaint was specifically geared toward the fact that mainstream media has provided this movement very little coverage, 2011 is a digital age and everything--no matter how big or small--is always covered somewhere in the media.

While this movement has yet to receive major attention in the national news, the age of "citizen journalism," as stated by editorsweblog.org, is at hand. With the number of tweets, blogs, video footage, and photographs available to inform the nation and the world of this cause, the voices of those oppressed are being heard.

If those of the movement would simply stop complaining about the lack of main-stream media coverage and take advantage of the digital advances of our time who truly knows what will result. Look at Barack Obama's campaign--it was on facebook.

Read more...

Google's Job in Improving Media

The journalism industry is shifting from old media to digital, which has been influenced by real-time social media tools like blogs and Twitter.

These websites allow anyone to be a publisher, leading to some news being unreliable. Legendary TV newsman Ted Koppel suggested at a recent Goggle event that it is Google's duty to fix this problem.

Koppel said that too much of what passes for news is trivial and sensationalistic. Media outlets spend too much time on what news people want instead of what news they need.

The idea is that Google will filter its news feed to focus on the most important news. Google has made steps to secure that their posts are from professional websites by using stories from longtime standing old media sources such as The New York Times.

Google News is the first source of news for many people every day. Since it is such a widely used website, they should feel some sense of responsibility to inform their audience of what is most important to their lives.

Stories about the Casey Anthony trial and Nancy Grace's nip slip are interesting but have no real impact on people's lives.

People need to be more informed of issues that will affect their present and future, such as the presidential race and foreign aid policies.

Photo Credit: Aaron Morrison

Read more...

"Show don't Tell"

Getting the perfect photo to complement any story is vital, but photographers need to know their constitutional rights.

When in a public place, photographers have the right to photograph anything in plain view. When on private property, the property owner sets the rules.

Police officers cannot confiscate or demand to view photographs without a warrant. They can also not delete photographs under any circumstance.

If a photographer is stopped by a police officer, always act polite and calm. The photographer needs to ask the officer for the reasons behind being detained.

Photos, just like written stories, give new knowledge to their audiences. They also provide a check on the government.

The First Amendment guarantees photographers the rights to shoot whatever they find useful, as long as they don't break any other laws, such as trespassing, while doing so.

Photographs can do something articles can't. Photos physically show the situation, and evoke strong emotions. The rights of these people need to be protected because they are doing their community a great service.

Photo Credit: Maddie Boswell

Read more...

Ten Years Later

Twitter exploded with hashtags of #neverforget and #GodblesstheUSA on the decade anniversary of 9/11, as over three million tweets acknowledged the occasion.

We shared where we were, who we were with, what we thought on that Tuesday morning ten years ago. Various news and social media websites encouraged us to express our memories and describe our experience since. The New York Times, among others, created an entire addition to their website covering every aspect of 9/11 from the events of the day itself to the impact on American Muslims since. Television documentaries and films consumed practically every station from CBS to OWN, Animal Planet to the History Channel. Newspapers took the opportunity to bring out the biggest and best in front page illustration.

We were bombarded with images and sounds. Videos of the attacks themselves and the minutes after. Recordings of panicked 911 calls and final goodbyes to loved ones.

Was it too much? Did the hundreds of hours of anniversary coverage trivialize the events? Or honor those affected most by the tragedy?

Nevertheless, whether there was too much exposure or not enough, the media succeeded in helping us remember that tragic day and the lives lost. A plummeting stock market, the Presidential election, and debt reduction plans were slightly further from our mind as we took the time to tune in to the coverage or glance through the commemorative magazine. Through television specials and newspaper articles, Americans came closer together as a nation in remembrance, just as we were a decade before.

photo courtesy of pingnews.com via www.creativecommons.com

Read more...

Reactions to Osama's Death

The night of May 2, 2011 is one that no American can forget. President Barack Obama declared, "Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden." It was with these words that the entire country erupted in shock and celebration. The media also exploded with the news, and different themes were prominent in different mediums.

Citizens jumped onto Facebook and Twitter, many praising the military for the kill and using humor. @NZAfro tweeted, "R.I.P. Osama bin Laden- World Hide and Go Seek Champion. (2001-2011). Social media websites also hosted many discussions over if bin Laden was really dead or not.

Mainstream media focused on the details of the events leading up to and during the attack on bin Laden's compound. These outlets also spotlighted on the American and global reaction to the event.

As websites like Facebook and Twitter get even more popular, it allows the average citizen to have a say in the news and what themes get covered. Collecting information from many different mediums is vital to get the entire story because there is such a variety in the coverage. Events like this help support Marshall McLuhan's famous quote, "The medium is the message."

Photo credit: Sgt. Randall A Clinton

Read more...

A Conflict of Interest

Don't bring your work home. Don't mix business with pleasure. Don't poop where you eat. Personal life and professional life should be separate.

The concept is simple enough. In order to be objective at work, we need to remain unbiased. For example, a doctor can't treat his/her spouse because of conflict of interest.

According to Thomas Sheeran on Huffington Post, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Connie Schultz resigned from her position at The Plain Dealer due to her husband's senatorial race. She explained that her decision resulted from the fact that her newspaper regularly reports on her husband's election.

Journalists and politicians are like macaroni and cheese; one without the other is devastating. The idea that either one would have to choose between a spouse and a career is equally devastating.

Schultz worked for The Plain Dealer for 18 years. Although she will no longer work for that newspaper, she will continue to writing for magazines and her book. I don't know how she chose one love over another, but it was her decision to make.

As a political science and multi-media journalism major, I often wonder whether I want to make headlines or write them. In high school I had the best of both worlds; I was president of student council and editor of the newspaper. I have avoided conflict between my two interests so far, but in the real world, I know I will have to decide.

Read more...

Reporting About Numbers

One of the greatest challenges that seems to face journalists is the ability to have or obtain a small amount of knowledge about everything.

This can be especially difficult when you're asked to write about something that you have little or no interest in-- for me, that area would be economics. While I recognize the importance of understanding the economy that I live in and know that it has very far reaching effects, I can't escape the bore of financial statistics and numbers reports.

Luckily, there are sources for journalists who have to follow a story that they have no interest in. I found one here about writing about economics.

The first thing that needs to be accomplished is getting an idea of which numbers in the reports are relevant to society, and are newsworthy. Figures about employment are always relevant, and many times the changes and fluctuations are newsworthy.

When reporting about unemployment, the rate of change should be reported. The demographics of the employed and the unemployed can also be very newsworthy if they're changing, or if there is some recognizable desparity that may be indicative of a larger social issue.

Journalists can also look to stories about interest rates, since even changes within the interest rates banks get can come to effect everyday people trying to obtain loans.

The release from meetings about federal interest rates are available here, after the eight annual sessions. An important questions to ask is who voted for which increases or decreases.

The facts surrounding motivations for increases and decreases in federal interest rates are also important. Increases mean that there is no attempt to directly stimuate economic growth through loans, while a decrease in rates means the opposite.

Information related to consumption is important to readers, especially considering the crazy amount that we as citizens of the United States consume.

The Consumer Price Index and the Consumer Confidence ratings are both great places to start a story. The confidence index can also be related to information about employment in a longer feature story.

Stories about the housing market are also good economical stories. Look for answers about the prices of homes in a given area, who's moving into the homes, or for comparison rates between different housing markets.

Photo courtesy of EpSos.de on Flickr, via CreativeCommons.org.

Read more...

Why the New York Times Online Strategy Will Fail

If you are interested in news business, you all know that the New York Times has decided to offer online content only to those who subscribe.

The subscription is $35 per month to access the site on a computer, a smartphone and an Ipad, when it is only $15 dollars to get computer access only.

Do you think this marketing strategy will work?

Obviously, it is understandable that the New York Times is losing when people read their articles online and don't buy the print version anymore.

The New York Times hopes that the most online frequent readers will subscribe to get their news because they are used to read those online.

But the problem is that readers could still have access of New York Times articles through links all over the web. For example, news aggregators provide links that lead right to the article while keeping it free.

Some New York Times readers explain why they won't pay to access site online.

"There are other reputable sources that are free, and the editorials on the Times page, if they are worth, will be passed around via social media," says Ditto, a 29-year-old attorney.

Some people think that this is a strategy to sell more print version rather than make money online strategy. The New York Times pricing seems designed not to get people to subscribe digitally, but rather to discourage existing subscribers from canceling their print subscriptions.

Photo credits: Paris, Museum Of Arts, Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Read more...

Brave Journalists Needed in Mexico

Word-associations surrounding journalism these days often include "brave," "iron-willed," "feisty," and "undaunted." We need people of this caliber in journalism to go into the danger zones and report on what they experience and what other people are experiencing.

Might it be the case, though, that some places are just too dangerous to send journalists into? It seems many professionals in the United States are starting to feel that Mexico is too dangerous of a place to send reporters. There's no denying it's a dangerous place for all kinds of officials.

Journalists are not exempt from all the death recently in Mexico from drug cartel violence, but we need brave souls to cover the horrific events-- and they're covering severe violence elsewhere. Mexico makes the top ten in regard to the most violent posts for journalists, but the country is number nine.

So, what's happening to coverage in Mexico? According to Joseph J. Kolb, "The dwindling freedom of press in Mexico is compounded on two fronts by the allegations of widespread government corruption and ties to the cartels as well as the profound self-censorship imposed on the media through intimidation and murder."

I would assert that another major difference between journalism (and the presence of journalists) in Mexico and journalism in countries in the Middle East and in Northern Africa is the long-standing danger associated with Mexico and the drug war.

While revolutions are, by nature, breaking news that requires reporters to expose themselves to danger for what may be a limited time, the violence in Mexico has been going on for years and it's not getting much better.

Since 1992, there have been over 50 journalist deaths, 23 of them in the last five years. On top of these numbers, there are 12 journalists who went to cover events in Mexico and are still missing.

If this information wasn't striking enough, another prevalent problem is conviction rates for people who murder journalists. Frankly, they're no good. Most of the time, no one is even brought to trial.

Another issue brought out is the slight number of breakthrough news stories coming out of Mexico-- the press can't help Mexico find justice and peace because the cartels are controlling the press. This is one reason that it's essential for United States journalists to go into the danger zone and bring stories home to the press-- drug cartels can't censor United States news stories.

Mike O'Connor, a veteran journalist who has spent a lot of time covering issues in Mexico, has some tips for other brave journalists. He says reporters must let someone in the states know where they are going to be and when, even if it's incredibly short notice.

O'Connor also warns journalists to be inconspicuous, ditch the United States license plate, vet the area you're going into, have a plan, and don't meet people at night in scary places. Obviously, a lot of it comes down to common sense.

If you consider yourself brave, and intelligent in the face of danger, a career covering stories in Mexico may be just the job for you. At least you know there's a demand.

Photo Courtesy of Kate Sheets, via Flickr.com, via CreativeCommons.org.

Read more...

Libya and Freedom of Press

While protests continue in Libya, journalists find themselves in the inability to perform their work.

Since the early events, Gadhafi's government had assured media that they will be able to report any event across the country. However, since a few days, journalists are banned from crossing certain areas of the country, especially sites of clashes with the rebels.

"The situation for crews in Libya is becoming increasingly precarious and there is a strong sense that antipathy towards foreign journalists is mounting," said the International News Safety Institute, a non-for-profit charity.

Many journalists are confined in their hotel and can not report freely. Some of them have been detained by security forces but all have been released since.

"A number of news crews who have given their minders the slip have been detained," INSA said. "Several journalists were detained trying to get in to Zawiyah, about 30 miles west of Tripoli. Some were held overnight."

Libya is not the first example of control of press. Freedom of press is always an issue in countries facing a dictatorship. It is still the case in North Korea, were people have no access to the Internet, no cell phones and can barely talk to each other.

Photo credit: flickr.com via Creativescommons.org

Read more...

Photo Taking Tips

Something that catches your eye when looking at a newspaper, magazine, book, etc. are pictures. It has been said a picture is worth a thousand words, but that is only if the picture has meaning and is of good quality.

Combined tips from Kodak and hp, listed below give photographers tips to make their photographs more appealing.

1. Use a plain background. You don't want your background to take over what the main focus of the picture is about.

2. Use a flash outdoors and know your flash's range. Along with your flash, be aware of the lighting around you. Too much lighting can overexpose photos, while too little can underexpose photos.

3. Move in close and lock in your focus. Whether it be with zoom or physically, you want your focus to be the majority of the photograph.

4. Take some vertical pictures. Remember, your camera is able to turn, allowing you to format your pictures and some variety.

5. Move it from the middle. Instead of the typical focus being in the middle, have it off center for a greater balance.

6. Get down to their level. Do not tower above your subject, unless that is the desired effect for the photo.

7. Hold the camera steady as you shoot the picture, this well reduce blur.

Hopefully, these basic tips can help you take better photos, but remember creativity is important to.

Photo credit: Via Creative Commons

Read more...

Reasons to Blog

So as most of you all know midterms are happening right now. This of course means we have hit the half way mark. In our BNR class we have been blogging because it is an assignment and most of us probably don't want to fail so we just suck it up and write about something every week. Would any of us actually use this blog site if we were not forced to do it? Maybe yes, or maybe no, but there are reasons on why you should blog.

1. One reason to blog is that you can express yourself through your blog. Did you just watch a great movie and want to let others know about how fantastic it is? (Sanctum 3-D) Or maybe you want to rant about how outrageously high gas prices are. (Seriously, have you looked at them lately?) Whatever you want to say you can say it on your blog. This can help you stay connected with your friends or family who read your blog.

2. You can use your blog to market or promote something. I just promoted the movie Sanctum above. I also am promoting our BNR class by contributing to The News About The News.

3. Many blogs are written to be informative. This can range from helpful tips for interviews, how to take good pictures, or why to blog. By blogging about topics that are important to you, you can connect with people with similar views. Also, you can stay active or knowledeable about a variety of things.

4. The last reason I am going to give, is that by blogging you can get your name out there. It shows that you are "hip" with technology, and when somebody googles your name it will bring up your blog and show them what you are all about. By blogging about topics that are important to you, you will show them what matters to you. By blogging about your interests, it will show them what you find interesting or entertaining. Your blog will show them a better insight on you then perhaps your Facebook.

I hope that you will consider blogging after our BNR class is over.

Photo Credit: Via Creative Commons

Read more...

Checking the Ethical Component of a Story

In an article discussing the new frontier in ethical journalism, Ghanaian journalist Prosper Yao Tsikata lays out four rules for making sure a story is morally ripe for publication.

The four criteria he describes are preponderance to evidence, the filtering process, the crystallizing evolution and finally, disgorgement.

In order to satisfy Preponderance to Evidence, Tsikata urges journalists to check and double check sources-- especially given the consideration that today, there are vast sources like the internet that can't always be taken at face-value.

Tsikata says that one of the most important steps in this process, especially when considering high-profile public figures, is "contacting the individual(s) involved in the issues and checking with them or their inner circles." Had the many journalists mistakenly reporting that Gabrielle Giffords had died checked within her inner circle, it is likely that they wouldn't have made such a serious mistake.

The second step is the Filtering Process. Here, journalists should flesh out their story and pay attention to whether or not the facts they have acquired follow logically from each other. They should fill in as many gaps in the logic as they can by doing their own fact-checking: comparing dates and financial figures, examining individuals involved, etc.

In the third step, which Tsikata calls the Crystallizing Evolution, journalists should act as utilitarians, and make sure that the benefits of releasing the story outweigh any personal issues surrounding the subject of the story. This consideration should have been applied to the recent situation regarding Steve Jobs' health- many journalists and shareholders took the stance that Jobs' health status should be available to the public at large. To me, and seemingly to Tsikata as well, Jobs' health is a personal issue and an ethical journalist would consider it as such.

Finally, Tsikata calls for journalists to consider Disgorgement. For Tsikata, the word means that once the beans are spilled and the full story is out, journalists should take back any statements that have proved to be inaccurate. Disgorgement is a bit of an unconventional term since it is usually applied to unethical gains in economics, but Tsikata successfully applies it to journalism.

It is important to distinguish between the positive properties of transparency in journalism and politics and the ethical dilemma that comes from trying to apply this same transparency to the lives of individuals. Tsikata's guide is helpful in this regard because it delineates ethical boundaries in journalism.

Photo credit: LucasBean.com via CreativeCommons.org

Read more...

Switching Labels

Shakespeare's Juliet once pined for a certain man named Montague, and proclaimed that the name had nothing to do with her love for the man-- that the two were separate entities and did not affect one another. Calling a rose a rotten egg would not change her opinion about its sweet smell.

Today, many sociologists (and some everyday people) recognize that what we call something does affect how we feel about it. Journalists Karen Carmichael and Rabiah Alicia Burks recently wrote this article, commenting on the nature of the relationship between the current debate about immigration and the terms "illegal immigrants," and "illegal aliens".

The article reminds us that the term illegal never has good connotations when it is applied to a person-- it can conjure up images of hardened convicts. Alien is also a word that is only used to establish a category of other.
The authors' primary issue of concern, however, is not the application of the words "illegal", and "alien". It is the use of the two terms by journalists.

With the advent of the internet and all the digital media that accompanied it, journalists have gained the ability to nurture and lead labels that are reflected in society. For this reason, it is important for journalists to report without bias.

Unfortunately, the terms that journalists have chosen in this case are not bipartisan.

I agree with Otto Santa Ana's suggestion that journalists use less biased phrases, like "unauthorized immigrant," which still accurately reflects the status of the immigrants. And of course, I don't think that only journalists have made a mistake here.

Anyone entering into the debate needs to first, recognize that not all unauthorized immigrants are Hispanic. And secondly, people must recognize that terms in a debate do affect outcomes.

Photo courtesy of FreeRepublic.com, via CreativeCommons.org.

Read more...

Journalism Through Social Media

Social media is all the rage these days with websites such as Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Youtube, and yes even Myspace. There are some basic guidelines to follow on each of these websites in order to be a successful journalist on any of them, but I am going to focus primarily on the website that I personally am most familiar with, Twitter.

There are some simple rules to follow when it comes to Twitter.

Make sure to follow other people. That is the main way to increase followers on Twitter. Also, make sure to reply to people. By starting a conversation, a new follower could be gained. Don't have a whole conversation though. This can get annoying for followers who follow both parties, because they will get all the updates in their feed.

Make sure to get to know the lingo, as well. For example, replies are typically called "@replies", direct messages as "DMs", trending topics as "TTs", and understand how to use hashtags. Using hashtags and trending topics are another way to increase followers. Other ways to make a Twitter more successful is to show that there is actually a person behind the account by posting a profile picture. Don't be afraid to use links as well, to news stories, pictures, videos, or even to posts on other social media websites.

A few other tips for being a successful journalist on Twitter is to make sure your Twitter is not on private. Although it may seem more secure, it also hinders the ability to communicate and get the word out, because no one but a follower will be able to see the tweets. Also,

There is obviously a lot more to Twitter than just the few simple things that I have mentioned. Twitter is changing with each tweet that is sent out, helping keep the world connected and informed. A lot of rules and helpful tips can be found over at The Journalist's Guide to Twitter, and make sure to check there if any questions arise, or comment below.

Photo Credit: androinica.com via creativecommons.org

Read more...

Not an Orwellian Reality

In 1949, Orwell provided us with a viewpoint on the destructive potentials of technology in his book 1984 (look to the Sparknotes summary if you need a refresher). It has been in the forefront of our minds ever since, taught in many high school English classes and rarely missed by anyone with a four-year degree. In it, Orwell describes a dystopia in which the Party has total control over all of London and eliminates any possible action by the free press (while doing many other damaging things to the imagined society).

Even though the internet is still a scary thing to some of us, evolving so quickly and permeating our daily interactions as thoroughly as it does, most of us realize that it won't result in a scenario like that of 1984. With the arrival of WikiLeaks on the journalism scene, we have seen the beginning of the impossibility of that kind of control. The big names in journalism and the major sources for news still have the ability to distort what information we receive at the base of the news pyramid, but the selective news articles and resources that we have access to today are growing rapidly. New sources of information, not filtered through large controlling companies, are everywhere now. The internet has made journalists out of everyman. Wikileaks provides an outlet for "whistleblowers," journalists and citizens who see that something is being obscured or covered by the main press outlets. This information is now at our fingertips, and as a result, happenings all over the world are becoming more transparent and apparent.

WikiLeaks is also changing journalism as we know it because it provides free and easy sources for the larger media outlets and for consumers of news. Investigative reporting won't take nearly as much work for the big names since many secrets have already been published by WikiLeaks-- but there is also the fear that people won't buy a newspaper or subscribe to an online journal because the information is already logged somewhere else for free.

Instead of Orwell's prediction that this kind of leaked information would be shut down by government implements, companies are taking special precaution to make sure that whistleblowers cannot be identified and prosecuted. This is definitely not the policing that Orwell imagined, and we're all glad to see he was wrong.

For more information WikiLeaks and the new model for journalism, check out this article from the New America Foundation.

Photo Credit: CentristNetBlog.com, via CreativeCommons.com.

Read more...