Challenges and Opportunities in Modern Journalism
- Kaitlyn Joseph
- Jul 3, 2024
- 2 min read
"Healthy journalism is essential for a democracy to function and for people to be adequately informed about local and state issues." "And no matter how objective or fact-driven a reporter attempts to be, there are always choices involved in the way we frame information, the words we choose to describe events, the quotes we pull for the story, or the stories we choose to cover." (Faye Seidler)
Modern journalism faces a vast amount of challenges due to the advancement of technology, which then leads to the rise of misinformation and the digital divide. As we progressed technologically in the past few decades, there has been an increase in biased platforms, which resulted in what we call the digital divide and misinformation. Combatting misinformation is the most prominent struggle for journalists, as it influences and impacts various groups' opinions and understanding. With the rise of different social media platforms, it is common to receive incorrect information or one-sided information that can hinder an individual from understanding both sides or the correct information. Individuals seek all of their information from these various fast-paced platforms of social media, rather than newspapers. The transformation of these digital platforms often requires the journalist to adhere and adapt to new technology and different platforms and the wants and needs that come with it.
Another challenge various journalists are faced with is AI. With the rise of AI, journalists are constantly in conflict with how quickly and efficiently this artificial intelligence can write about something, using sources and the intelligence of the computer. Journalists are faced with a problem, in which they can either embrace AI and use it as a resource or be overtaken by it. It is clear that adapting and adhering to these technological challenges will be the best for these journalists as they combat the conflicts that come from the rise of social media, AI, and misinformation. As NeimanLab's predictions suggested, "the adaptability and resilience of journalists will be key to overcoming obstacles and seizing new possibilities in the ever-evolving media landscape."
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