SAME OLD STORY

Journalism is a volatile industry. Poynter Online ponders if journalism is a 'toxic culture' (http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=31&aid=142370). Despite the various avenues that are opening up; including blogging, citizen journalism and convergence, it seems that the same problems, if not more, still persist. Why is it that journalism seems to be the one industry where boundaries between inferior and superior are drawn based on organization size. Where values and standards at times seem to drain and restrict writers immensely. Where the industry and job security seem at once dynamically changing yet negatively uncertain. All this from an industry that is the lifeblood of our knowledge base. From an industry that informs citizens of important issues and events which, especially in western nations, serve to support our democratic structures.
The Poynter Online article suggests that 'good journalism doesn't change much. But if it is changing significantly, it must be dying. Which in turn means the world is in big trouble'. New skills are needed as organizations and then journalists have to adapt. This is where the problem lies. As the structure of the industry bends and changes the dynamics of individualism come in to play. Personal traits and the stubborness of journalists, who for so long have followed the same principles and structures, suddenly come in to play. With no clear cut or certain structure it could be argued that the stability of the industry has a domino affect on all involved. Instead of looking entirely at the 'demands of the modern day consumer' maybe it's time to keep things simple again and let the industry, and the common skill set of its' workers, dictate the direction.