Words From the Editors

Mass Communications Students Prepare for Futures in Journalism

By: Ben Brojakowski and Tabitha Bronsburg

Mass communications is constantly growing. New innovations in technology make it difficult for many members of this field to keep up but also make their jobs very exciting. One of the most difficult areas in communications to keep up with is journalism.
Most people just think of journalism as reporting news and journalists only having to travel (in some cases), interview people, and write. However, journalists have much more to worry about than that. They are constantly adapting, using new ways of distributing news to mass audiences, striving to be fair and accurate in their reporting, and often putting their careers in danger with every interview they conduct. Journalists even risk their bodies and lives if they have been assigned to cover natural disasters, wars, or criminal cases.

Not every day is difficult for journalists, but the news never stops. These men and women battle deadlines, weather, lawsuits, and angry editors or producers on a regular basis just to deliver news and information to the public. Journalists often have a bad reputation for not covering a story accurately. People are often wary of interviews because they feel their words may be taken out of context to make a better story. Through all of this, journalists continue reporting to support themselves and their families by doing what they love. Unfortunately, many of these journalists still worry about their future.

The Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ) was created for journalists worried about what the future may bring. The CCJ is “a consortium of journalists, publishers, owners, and academics worried about the future of the profession.”

The CCJ has three goals that show that this profession is different from many others. The first goal is “to clarify and renew journalists’ faith in the core principles and functions of journalism.” The second goal is “to create a better understanding of those principles by the public.” The final goal of the CCJ is “to engage and inform ownership and management of these principles and their financial as well as social value.”

Recent statistics about how much Americans trust the media are astounding. More than half of the people in this country do not trust members of the media. The goal of the CCJ and other prominent journalism groups, such as the Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) and Journalist’s Toolbox, is to restore the public’s faith in the news they cover. Many students will pursue journalism and graduate from college with intentions of using their writing, photography, and verbal skills to benefit their audience. However, they may already be looked down upon for a lack of integrity in their profession.

It is the current journalists’ and journalism students’ responsibility to restore the public’s faith in this profession. The thousands of articles written, classes taught, and ethics seminars are important. Hopefully, the negative view of journalists is enough reason to remember the information learned in ethics classes and make sure everything is reported accurately. Not every journalist manipulates their interviews to make a better story. Let’s remind the public of that.