The future of media

I have developed a hearty interest in this topic after researching the financial state of the newspaper industry and what it means for the future of print media, for Dr. Arant's Media Ethics class. I looked at the trends in circulation decline in the cities with one or more major daily. I also read the opinions of scholars and media professionals who have been researching this issue longer than I had. What I discovered alarmed me.

Everyone had someone or something to blame. Some blamed the conglomerate culture that has permeated the media industry for years. They felt that once big business took over the industry, the focus of news media changed from delivering truthful accurate news to getting the most sensational story in order to attract advertising dollars. In their opinion money was all that mattered. While others blamed technology. I felt that this view was monumentally ignorant because media has always been evolving with technology. First came radio, then television, and now the internet. News is always going to be a commodity. The delivery method is what changes over time.

What is the future of media? Many people have asked that question repeatedly over the past two decades and from what I can tell no one really knows. Oh don't get me wrong there are plenty of opinions as to what the future media landscape will look like, but the truth is that no one really knows. Technology changes constantly and media will no doubt keep up with the changes. I guess the real questions I would like to know the answer to are: How will I make money? What are the skills I need to compete in the next phase of media evolution. What can I do to ensure that I remain relevant and employed? Let's be honest here this is what we really want to know. I feel that we as journalism students and future media professionals can only affect the direction of media's future through our integrity and objectivity. The big money guys will figure out how to get it to the masses. It's in their best interest$$$$$$$$$$$$.