The realm of journalism kicked off 2024 with a shaky start. According to Politico, an online newspaper centered around politics and policy, over 500 reporters industry-wide in the United States were laid off in January alone. This leaves us to wonder, what is the future of journalism? Where are Americans turning to get their news? What is the dynamic between the mainstream media and its audience?
As these layoffs become increasingly common, we as a society face multifaceted repercussions stretching beyond job losses. History teacher Dr. Tammi articulates, “I do think the general shrinking of mainstream media is a disservice to consumers of information. The layoffs mean a lack of staff to cover important stories on the ground around the world; it means that stories are shared among fewer and fewer sources, leading to a kind of echo chamber that could potentially feel like a validation of information that may not necessarily be true; and it means that the stories that come out may not be as in-depth.”
The unification of media sources means stories are exclusively shared within fewer news outlets. This, in turn, creates these “echo chambers” that Tammi introduces. Audiences will then be primarily exposed to information that aligns with their previously existing beliefs, perpetuating biased information. Other developments include stories lacking a deep, critical analysis vital for influential journalism. These types of reports often require time and experience. With the layoffs, we imperil in-depth reporting.
However, seeking news within the confines of mainstream media is not without its drawbacks. It’s important to keep in mind the underlying realities of the functional dynamics behind large news outlets. Tammi says, “What a news site chooses to highlight is intentional and can affect how one consumes the news. I am also aware because my husband used to work in news media (ABC News, MSNBC News) that most news sites rely on advertising – they are businesses. So, as businesses, they make decisions that will get them noticed/watched/read. That is not always in the best interests of the person looking for information because it is, by design, set up to benefit the business first and foremost.” Tammi emphasizes the clash between journalistic integrity and commercial obligations. The need to have a successful business creates a conflict of interest that may hurt the audience.
With these doubts in mind, perhaps many Americans have been looking elsewhere to get their news. Popular alternatives include independent journalists who, instead of broadcast television, use the platforms Twitter, Spotify, YouTube and independent news websites such as Breaking Points, ProPublica, 1440 News and more. These benefits include “not relying as heavily on advertisements. It can also be more grassroots and local,” says Tammi. Without commercial interests in mind, these news sources can mitigate financial conflicts of interest while having the freedom to prioritize independent and investigative journalism.
Fieldston recently hosted an online gathering of alum journalists hosted by Lauren Servideo and alum ‘23 Arshie Amelie Chaudry. It included journalists Andrea Amiel, Polly Blitzer, Antoine Gara and Olivia Rubin. During that talk, Andrea Amiel, of ABC News Live and Fieldston alum of 1983, explained, “Cable viewership is down. Network viewership is down. There is so much media and so much reporting in ways that we never would have thought of ten years ago.” “The first thing is that media is getting smaller, and it is getting smaller for a lot of reasons. It used to be that most news organizations didn’t have to worry about making a profit. It was considered a public good. And a lot of media organizations were backed by big companies or big publishing companies or wealthy families.” Americans are increasingly turning towards independent sources and avoiding legacy corporate media, which, in turn, have caused layoffs in traditional journalism outlets.
Amiel and others later talked about the ability of big organizations to throw lots of money and resources at stories, which made them incredibly resourceful but expensive to maintain. “It is a big reorganization… I will also tell you that things go in cycles. And that, in shaky times, you need to look to where the audience is going….It is not a stable business at all, and those people who do it, do it because they love it. “
Amiel’s advice for people entering the profession is to “be nimble and make sure your skills are up to date so that you can be up to date in terms of where people are getting their news and information. “ In essence, be ahead of the curve.
Increasingly, audiences are also turning to experts and those with an inside perspective themselves to help analyze the news instead of having it filtered through the lens of a traditional media outlet. Amiel echoed this idea, stating, “When doing higher interviewing and hiring, one thing that I look for isn’t necessarily a communications background…it is people who have taken a coursework that can give them a specialty…it’s making sure that you’re educated to have all the critical thinking skills.”
Luxury Brand Editor and Fieldstom Alum of ‘94 Polly Blitzer added, “I found it really helpful to see a diversity in perspectives. If someone were a science nerd, that would be such a huge help to the team because there would be sustainability stories where they really have to dig in and interview someone who only speaks science and figure out how to distill it into something palatable for a specific audience.”
Blitzer also advised people to jump at any story offered and work hard because there were unseen advantages in every assignment done well. “It boggles my mind at how quickly things change and how quickly things evolve and how much misinformation there is. It’s kind of like the Wild West at the moment. …It is interesting how big organizations with big vetting processes have to be nimble and adapt and go to where people are consuming and getting their information.”
“People will always want news and people will always need news,” explained ABC news reporter and Fieldston class of 2014 Olivia Rubin. “It’s about figuring out how to get it right as the industry changes.”
All seemed to agree that the proliferation of social media was not a bad thing. Blitzer pointed out how helpful social media was during the Covid-19 epidemic and how rapidly essential information was dispensed during the crisis.
A prime example of someone who was nimble and made a career shift from business to news is Antoine Gara, Financial Times journalist and Fieldston alum of 2004, who worked at Lehman Brothers on Wall Street before entering business journalism: “I thought that getting real-world experience was going to be beneficial to my eventual writing career, which was why I went into finance…I had skills that I could bring to journalism that were unique.”
It was also Gara who argued for journalists to be quick “self-learners.” There is “great architecture” within news organizations, great opportunities to learn, and people willing to teach. But “You always have to be on guard for what is coming next.. . It’s an industry that is always evolving and you have to change with it.”
The dynamic between media and its audience is undergoing a drastic change. There will likely be a lot of shifting before the dust settles.
Despite the growth of independent news outlets, there will always be a demand for a team of reporters dedicated to investigative journalism. Rubin states: “News is something that is essential, and people will always want it. The delivery will change, and it’s all about meeting the audience where they are. But, the fundamentals will never go away.”
