What is New Journalism?
What is New Journalism?
New Journalism has been around, in many different manifestations, since the 1830s. That was the first time, but certainly not the last time, that a newspaper editor or publisher coined the phrase. At that long ago time, it had more to do with what was also called “penny journalism,” something that might be considered a distant cousin to “yellow journalism.”
The news back then often stretched the bounds of “honest reporting” and tended to opt for the sensational as a way to sell newspapers. There were many other manifestations of “new journalism” in the years after 1832.
The last time that someone used the phrase, New Journalism, for a particular style or approach to journalism began in the 1960s and continued into the 1970s. The phrase at that time referred to a “style of new writing and journalism which used literary techniques that were unconventional in journalism.”
In fact, Tom Wolfe gave substance to that belief in his book, “The New Journalism” which was published in 1973. In the book, Wolfe included “New Journalism” articles by some of the best-known writers of the day – Truman Capote … Hunter S. Thompson … Norman Mailer … Pete Hamill … Joan Didion … and many, many others.
As the book indicated, the articles by these writers were more literary in nature and in style than they were traditional in the sense that they reported on an event and provided editorial comment, as well. In truth, these “New Journalism” writers often saw their words – and their articles – show up on the pages of important magazines instead of on the Op-Ed pages of newspapers.
It was not uncommon for articles by Norman Mailer, for example, to appear inside the glossy pages of The New Yorker … New York magazine … Esquire … Rolling Stone magazine … The Atlantic Monthly … and other highly-regarded weekly or monthly publications.
Many, but not all, of the writers cited in Tom Wolfe’s book are still actively engaged as professional journalists today. Thy may not write as often and are certainly published less frequently, but their journalistic style of covering news and events that matter to readers has not changed. They are today what they were nearly forty years ago, “New Journalists.”
Of course, while these aging journalists remain the same, the larger field of journalism has changed dramatically. In the 21st Century, as newspapers and magazines suffer the financially devastating effects of shrinking readerships, new journalists are emerging – and a new kind of journalism is emerging, as well – thanks to the “always open” Internet.
Today’s journalism is constant because today’s journalists operate inexpensively and individually from home offices. They are able to use their “blogs” to respond to news as it happens – whether they do so for the purposes of reporting or for editorial comment.
Add 24-hours-a-day Cable television journalism to Internet Journalism and it is easy to see that traditional journalism may be “on its deathbed” as the much newer and more vibrant forms of truly “New Journalism” capture the interests and the loyalties of Americans. Times are definitely changing … fast.
What you need to know about Digital Journalism
Digital Journalism is, perhaps, twenty-five years old. It might be a bit older, maybe a bit younger, but … that’s it. Clearly, this form of journalism has a very short history. If you’ve never heard the term ”Digital Journalism” used before, you may not know what it is … you may, in fact, be scratching your head in wonder.
So … here’s the very short definition. Digital Journalism refers to news reporting and commentary that comes “directly from the Internet.” It is Journalism in the 21st Century, an information stream that exists only because there is a worldwide Internet.
In fact, Internet Journalism, along with its equally-young cousin, 24 hour Cable news programming, is altering the news and information landscape, pushing traditional forms of journalism and reporting to their collective deathbeds. It’s no secret that mainstream newspapers and network TV news programming, the longtime mainstays of journalism in America, are rapidly losing their audiences and their ability to remain viable.
Magazines, for example, a long time source of journalistic commentary, are in serious trouble because they have lead times that are too long. Most magazines are published weekly, bi-weekly or even monthly. By the time, a journalism article reaches a reader, that same news has been written about, discussed, dissected and more – repeatedly – on Internet blogs and on cable news programs, as well.
The future doesn’t appear much brighter for network television. While they file reports daily, their opinions overwhelm the news they cover. Since perception is often reality, the three major networks are considered to be too political for viewers and, as a result, can no longer be trusted to provide news reporting and journalistic commentary in a fair and unbiased way.
Sadly, the same is now true for major, mainstream newspapers. They have become so politicized that their front page news stories often include political opinions and commentary, not just a straight reporting of events. People dislike that and, the result is obvious: readership is diminishing rapidly.
Twenty-four hour news reporting on Cable TV networks has been able to fill much of the growing void left by failing mainstream news and journalism outlets, but not all of it. While cable news networks like Fox are growing rapidly and cutting into the more traditional channels of viewership and readership, their success is not limited to them alone.
Their partners in the new journalism of the 21st Century can be found online – on your personal computer screen. It is there that individual Digital Journalists work to follow and report on news stories as they happen … to engage in political commentary, reflecting all different points of view … and to create the new journalism for this century – Digital Journalism.
There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Digital Journalists working as much as seven days a week to report and comment on news and events honestly and openly … and totally. While editors at major newspapers and network TV stations have often filtered news and held back stories they didn’t want you to learn about, Digital Journalists operate ethically and hold nothing back.
When you think about it, that’s a very good thing. There can be no doubt that Digital Journalists are providing a very important public service.
The Columbia School of Journalism … A Reputation for Excellence
There are many fine Journalism Schools scattered at colleges and universities throughout the United States. One of the very best, if not the absolute best, may be the school located uptown in Manhattan in the neighborhood known as Morningside Heights.
That is where you’ll find students attending classes in the Columbia School of Journalism’s Graduate Program, a course of study that has produced many of today’s best-known print, television and online journalists.
Columbia University’s Journalism School is nearing its 100th birthday which makes it one of the oldest Journalism Schools in America. The university itself was founded before the American Revolution, way back in 1754 when it was known as “King’s College” in honor of the reigning British monarch at that time, King George.
When the school opened its doors to undergraduate students way back then, there were already four colleges operating “in the colonies,” because, as I mentioned earlier, the American Revolution had not yet taken place … there were no American citizens, only British subjects.
No matter. The school began operations and, over time – lots of it – became known as one of the country’s and the world’s top institutions of higher learning. In fact, today in the modern era, it is a “member of the prestigious Ivy League” and has a well-deserved reputation for excellence.
That reputation exists for all of its course studies, including Journalism. Interestingly, there was no School of Journalism for much of the university’s long history. The idea for a Journalism School was put forth by the nationally-known publisher, Joseph Pulitzer in the late 19th Century. As a prominent newspaper publisher at the time, Pulitzer hoped that a Journalism School could – and would – crank out a steady supply of qualified journalists for his newspaper.
It took several years for Pulitzer’s idea to take root. The truth is that the Columbia School of Journalism opened its doors for the very first time in September, 1912. When it did so, the first class had a student body of about 100 students in total, many of whom came from as many as twenty-one foreign countries. Additionally, the students were a mix, some part of the university’s undergraduate program while others were already part of the graduate program.
The school was popular from the outset and, over time, its student body – and its reputation – grew exponentially. In 1935, the school became the very first Graduate School of Journalism in the United States even though graduate students had been taking courses for more than twenty years.
Today, the Columbia School of Journalism remains one of the finest institutions of learning for budding journalists in the United States and throughout the rest of the world. Its student body is comprised on “the best and the brightest from America” and from dozens of other countries, as well.
The school’s faculty is superior and, in many cases, nationally-known. And the Graduate students who are there to study and learn are a serious group … intent on being the next generation of famous TV, print and online journalists. Many of them are certain to succeed.
The Different Types of Journalism Jobs
When most people think about journalism jobs (if they ever really do think about them), the thought that most often comes to mind is of someone very well-known whose picture and byline appear above articles he or she writes for major newspapers or magazines around the country.
If that’s the image that fills your mind when the term “journalism jobs” is brought up, you are not wrong. The person described above is, indeed, a journalist and the work mentioned along with that person, work that he or she regularly performs is a journalism job.
But, that particular journalist represents a position that places him/her “on top of the Journalism food chain.” There are many, many more jobs that fit the category, some of which may not be too well-known. In fact, not all journalism jobs involve “print.” Journalists regularly appear on television as you will note when I begin listing some of the “journalism jobs” in a few moments.
The truth is that Journalism is an important and major profession in the United States and elsewhere, as well and that many jobs in this career endeavor deserve to be called journalism jobs. Here are just some of those that qualify …
*Broadcast Journalist …the news anchor that appears nightly on a network news program (or local news program) is a journalist. Very often, he or she writes the stories that will be talked about on the program. In some cases, the anchor doesn’t write the stories, merely reads the word’s provided for him/her. In either case, the anchor can best be described as a Journalist the job is, of course, a Journalism Job.
* Fashion Journalist … Can someone who talks or writes about clothing be a journalist? Absolutely, yes! Journalism is not restricted to hard news or political news or world news events. It encompasses everything, including a special interest topic like fashion.
* Magazine Journalist … Consider this to be a very important niche in the world of written words. Depending on which magazine employs them, these journalists often have sizable readerships, offer opinion and commentary and are very influential.
* Newspaper Journalist … It should come as no surprise that the person who writes a column or is an occasional contributor to an Op-Ed page for a newspaper is a journalist. Often, he or she is syndicated which means his/her articles may appear in hundreds of publications, a fact that makes this journalist important, someone who may possibly play a role in shaping opinions.
* Critic … Are you surprised to find this “job title” in this article. It fits. Writers who produce critiques on food, restaurants, entertainment, sports or other endeavors are journalists.
* Editor … This position on a newspaper, magazine or television station is important. The editor passes out work assignments and often produces commentary that underscores his/her political or social mindset.
There are, of course, many more journalism jobs worth noting. These include: Science Editor … Technology Author … Writer/Reporter … Magazine Editor … and many more. The point is this: Journalism is a noble profession. There are now – and will be – many excellent jobs available if you choose to travel this path.