Response to McChesney "The Problem of Journalism"

If McChesney’s essay is to be believed the future of journalism is a very dark place and has been for some time now. Repeatedly the complaints arise that the old school journalism of investigative reporting and honorable reporters has been replaced by an industry concerned only with their bottom line. Journalism no longer centers on informing an audience about the news they need to know; but rather giving them the news that corporations have chosen. He claims that “the nature of what gets covered and how it gets covered, the meat and potatoes of journalism, have changed, and all for the worse.” (41) Audiences no longer dine on fulfilling stories but are treated to light weight desserts that don’t stay with them after the turn of the page or click of the remote.

With these dire assumptions many would assume journalism must act quickly to change their chosen path. James Carey wrote in his essay that “the reform of journalism will only occur when news organizations are disengaged from the global entertainment and information industries that increasingly contain them.” (56) Of course with the select few companies owning multiple media organizations it is difficult to escape this atmosphere. One alternative may be digital news or blogging. Bloggers and online writers often work for themselves and while they may have their own biases they are not held back by corporate backers. The internet allows for the freedom of journalists to report the stories they need to without interference.

Obviously this does not solve every problem McChesney brings up. The sources of the information may still be less trustworthy than in the past. Also, audiences can still choose to consume the fluff rather than the heavier meat and potatoes that journalists would prefer to cook up. But if traditional print publishing is already so far gone it may be time to look into alternatives that offer less restrictions on those with journalistic intentions. It took time for journalism to get to the point it is at today; blogging may also experience growing pains but has the potential to grow into a replacement for an evidently dwindling industry.