Thought leaders reflect on the state of journalism

Sixteen pioneers, pacesetters and Pulitzer Prize winners reflected on their personal missions in journalism during times of upheavals in the world, the media and their personal lives during the International Dialogues for Thought Leaders in Media. The event was sponsored by Images & Voices of Hope and the Fetzer Institute in June 2008 in Kalamazoo, Mich. San Francisco State University J-School Professor Jon Funabiki reflects on that gathering in his newly-issued report, “What am I for?” He writes: “In the U.S., even the nation’s premier newspapers are struggling for economic survival, and journalists are losing their jobs in droves. The upheavals stir many thoughts. The obvious question spilling from the lips of many: Will journalism survive? But for those who practice journalism—not only as a career, but as a life’s calling—a second, deeply personal question boils up from within: What am I for?” Funabiki breaks his research findings into three areas: volatility in history, volatility in journalism and volatility in the personal lives of participants. Don’t miss some of the inspiring comments from participants at the end of his report.

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Pintak named founding dean of Murrow College of Communication at WSU

Lawrence Pintak has been named founding dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University. Pintak, who spent the past four years as director of the Kamal Adham Center for Journalism Training and Research at The American University in Cairo, assumes his position Aug. 17. Pintak has logged more than 30 years in the journalism and media business on four continents and specializes in the role of media in shaping policy and the perceptions of policy; the intersection of media, religion and conflict; and the impact of technology, culture and globalization on journalism. His work can be found at www.pintak.com. He is also the author of Seeds of Hate: How America’s Flawed Middle East Policy Ignited the Jihad (2003) and Beirut Outtakes: A TV Correspondent’s Portrait of America’s Encounter with Terror (1988). Pintak holds a PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Wales, Lampeter.

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MF Grantee Hosts Afghan Anchor

The McCormick Foundation recently funded America Abroad Media's fellowship for Afghanistan journalist Sear Zia. In addition to news production training and agricultural research, Zia attended the season opener between the Yankees and Orioles at Camden Yards. During the baseball game, Zia met with Vice President Joe Biden. Zia, who is the primary nightly news anchor on Afghanistan's Tolo TV, reported on the Advancing Afghan Agriculture Alliance , a USAID-funded exchange program between Purdue University and Kabul University. He also visited four family farms in Galena, Ill. One highlight of the March 16-April 26 fellowship was an exclusive 30-minute interview with Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

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ASNE's Bosley to Retire

Scott Bosley, executive director of the American Society of News Editors, will retire at the end of 2009, the organization announced in a release on its Web site. Bosley served in the post for more than a decade. ASNE President Martin Kaiser said a search committee would soon be named with the goal of selecting a successor and providing time for an orderly transition of leadership. "It simply feels like the right time for me, personally, to step back and explore more of life, taking advantage of the pace that retirement will afford,” Bosley said. Bosley, a former editor and publisher, came to ASNE in March 1999 after a career of more than 30 years with Knight Ridder newspapers. "Scott has been an outstanding leader, not just of ASNE, but in our industry," Kaiser said. "His tireless dedication to serving journalism during his exceptional career before and while at ASNE, has made all of us better leaders. He will not just be missed by ASNE, but by our profession."

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J-School’s should urge students to specialize

With the new industry in turmoil and layoffs and buyouts of editorial staffers continuing, throughout the country, former journalist turned-teacher Ron Martz questions whether the age-old academic approach to journalism curriculum needs an overhaul. A general communication or journalism degree simply does not prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs, he argues. He urges schools to require students to undertake a specialized focus or even second degree to lay the ground work to tackle beats with a sophistication needed in today’s market. He writes: “As society and business have gotten increasingly complex, journalism has failed to keep pace by failing to properly educate, or insist that reporters be properly educated, about the intricacies of what they cover.” A specialization could help reporters to land a job in which they become indispensible to the news organization, and provide the in-house expertise needed to elevate the organization’s brand and reputation.

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Newspapers urge reporters use common sense on Twitter, Facebook

In recent weeks, the Wall Street Journal joined The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times, among others, in establishing guidelines for reporters on social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Most top editors say they’d like to encourage reporters to use social media tools to spur discussion and interest in their publication, but caution that too much sharing (especially of a personal or controversial nature) could jeopardize a reporter’s newsgathering ability -- and the publication’s reputation. Joe Strupp, senior editor at Editor & Publisher, gives an insightful round up of the various policies crafted at these publications that seek to shape the online behavior of news reporters, on and off the clock.

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Quote of the week

"When producing an article for online news, the publisher must assume that a reader may be viewing this article on its own, independent of the rest of the publication. To make an article effective in a standalone setting requires providing sufficient context for first-time readers...it also requires a different approach to monetization: each individual article should be self-sustaining. These types of changes will require innovation and experimentation in how news is delivered online, and how advertising can support it."

-- Marissa Mayer, vice president, search products and user experience at Google, in a hearing on “The Future of Journalism” before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation's subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, May 6, 2009.

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Blogger or journalist?

A judge in New Jersey has been asked to decide a prickly question that could alter the course of online news: is a blogger a journalist? New Jersey software company Too Much Media LLC has sued Shellee Hale, a Washington state mother and activist who runs four blogs, and claims Hale slandered the company in a message posted on one of the company’s online community boards. Hale posting stated security weaknesses in software developed my Too Much Media LLC could allow hackers to access an user’s private information, and cited anonymous sources for her inside knowledge. The company balked, saying the software’s security issues were resolved before any customer information became vulnerable, and argues Hale’s posting slandered the company’s reputation. Hale contends the information was gleaned during her investigation into the company's online security issues, and claims she is protected from revealing her sources under the New Jersey Shield Law, which protects working journalists from revealing a sources indentity in certain situations. The company’s crying foul, saying Hale’s merely a dangerous heckler sounding off on Oprano.com, an online forum, and doesn’t deserve the protections provided to journalists. So, just who is a "journalist?" Bloggers? Tweeters, for that matter? Mounmouth County Superior Court Judge Louis Locasio may be amongst the first judges to weigh this complex question, which is drawing mixed opinions from bloggers and 'traditional" journalists alike.

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