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.