I’ve been a journalist for more than 12 years.  From the time I started to the time I left in May 2015, things changed… a lot.  I think journalism lost itself along the way.  It tried to adapt too fast, speed began to equal better and facts slipped through the cracks.  Clicks became more and more important.  As people began to demand information at the drop of the hat, journalism answered by creating more content on as many digital platforms as possible.  Nevermind the fact that news outlets are now competing to be the first to post content with the new digital first concept.During  all of this haste, journalism vast become a villian.  Just take a look at all of the post about “the media” during the 2016 Presidential elections.  It seemed like everyone was hating on journalist.  Yes, news consumers are responsible for being media literate and analyzing news stories.  But we journalist are also responsible for taking our time with our product, putting the facts above all else, being the watchdogs we are entrusted to be.  

So how do we survive the growth of digital platforms? How do we survive people wanting information every second of every day?  We need to remember, WE are the journalist, WE are the watchdogs, WE are the ones behind the story, WE are not to dictate news based on social media trends…

WE need to remember why we got into this business in the first place…