Get Started Today

Country *

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Zip/Postal Code *

Program *

Campus of Interest

Graduation Year

Question

Request Information

UCW > All News > Bachelors Degrees > Redefining Journalism: Working in the Digital Age

Redefining Journalism: Working in the Digital Age

Despite flux in delivery models, job opportunities for media professionals continue to grow

Vancouver, BC - March 19, 2010 - The journalism industry is in a state of flux, the likes of which has never been seen. This goes beyond the issues facing newspapers but extends to magazines, local television and radio. Competition, access to information and the Web have shaken the business to its core and have caused layoffs and serious self-examination.

In its assessment of its own decline the news media is looking face-to-face at the problem of internet revenue.

Many years ago, the newspaper and media business for the most part decided that forcing customers to pay for information online - newspaper and magazine articles, nightly broadcast - was going to be counterproductive. Revenue would be generated through online advertising. Even news media organizations who initially put up paywalls eventually took them down.

The problem which happened between then and now was not only the change in consumer expectations - people became used to the free model online, paying nothing for information - but the change in the definition of journalism. With access to articles and reporting power of traditional journalism to build off of, bloggers and web commentators now consider themselves part of journalism.

And those bloggers and commentators have drained the audience from traditional news media, which meant smaller revenue, which meant smaller staff, which led to the industry's current state of flux.

This chain of events raises many questions for the near future of journalism: What does the news media do about surviving online? Should they reconsider a paywall to restrict content? And where do bloggers and commentators who aren't doing original reporting fit into the definition of journalism?

As the industry finds its footing in this new technical age, job opportunities for media and communication professionals have actually grown tremendously. Thanks to the Internet, there are far more publications and organizations in need of skilled, talented communicators. Careers are opening up not only with traditional media organizations, but in a wide range of industries looking to capitalize on the information age.

Looking to enter this versatile career field? Find out more with University Canada West's Media and Communications degree program!

Redefining Journalism: Working in the Digital Age

Bachelors Degrees - More News