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Veteran journalists from the Philippines and around the world provide valuable insights on the second day of the 2014 PH+SocialGood Summit
MANILA, Philippines – In the age of social media, what is the value of a journalism degree?
It’s a question that always crops up in journalism forums, as the coming of age of social media has taken away the monopoly of breaking news from journalists.
On the second day of the PH+SocialGood Summit #2030NOW in Manila on Wednesday, September 17, veteran journalists from the Philippines and all over the world gave their insights on the ideal journalist to hire.
For Philippine Daily Inquirer’s director for mobile JV Rufino, the new breed of journalists must be comfortable with multiple platforms, whether it be online, radio, print, or video.
Having a journalism degree is not a requirement, according to Ging Reyes, ABS-CBN senior vice president for integrated news and current affairs.
“All you have to do is have an open mind, have a thirst for learning, be open to learning, have a mentor who will teach you the ropes, have unending curiosity, a commitment to truth-telling, and a commitment to serving the public,” Reyes said.
She added: “That’s what journalism is all about. It’s not about us. It’s about telling stories, informing people, enlightening them, and somehow making sure that these stories would enlighten them.”
Rappler chief executive officer Maria Ressa said one should not only possess a broad range of skills and interests, but should have a specialization as well.
“You have to choose what you can be really good at. You have to try all the different things but be really good at one thing. Put in your 10,000 hours on what you can be really good at,” Ressa said.
Journalism graduates, don’t fret just yet. Global Center for Journalism and Democracy Executive Director Kelli Arena made the case for a journalism degree.
She said journalism students tend to have a better grasp of fundamental values needed to become good journalists, such as the importance of ethics.
“What I’m finding especially in the US is that students are used to getting to information venues that have nothing to do with news. They may be entertainment, sports, or gaming. There are some fundamental concepts that I expect that my students will understand but they don’t,” Arena said.
“Ethics, for example, plagiarism…or not accepting a narrative that exists as a way to present a story, which is also a form of plagiarism. There are some fundamental skills that I would argue are very necessary for students to learn as they go further. I’m not willing to throw the baby out of the bath water just yet,” she added.
Unlike in the past, aspiring journalists no longer have the luxury of being trained by veteran reporters, according to Arena.
“There was a time when you had people in the newsroom who could help develop you. That doesn’t exist anymore. That’s why my organization exists. It’s very difficult. It’s difficult to be young and seeking that guidance,” Arena said.
“There’s a value in having a journalism degree somewhere in the mix,” she said.
The role of journalists with the rise of social media
What role do journalists play in a world where citizens also have the ability to deliver the news through social media?
For the panelists, there is no question that journalism will continue to be relevant in the coming years but a reporter must do more than just break the news. In a fast-changing world where news breaks by the minute, a journalist plays the role of a curator of information.
After all, social media is just a tool and journalists must be able to provide context.
“The trained journalist has to move up the food chain of value creation. We add value by adding context, by verifying,” Ressa said.
A good journalist must be able to sift through the myriad of accurate and inaccurate information that goes through digital space everyday, said former Reuters COO Stuart Kale.
“This is the tricky part of social media: it focuses on the gray areas. That’s where journalism has to live and thrive,” said Kale, who is also the general counsel of North Base Media.
Adding value to content is also the key to monetizing digital media, Arena said.
“People pay for value. People pay for content that they can’t get anywhere else,” Arena said. “We can’t be presenting all that stuff that we have been presenting for years.”
Technology has brought 3 different constituents in making journalism a viable industry – the programmers who develop the technology, journalists who provide content, and business people, said Sasa Vucinic, co-founder and managing partner of North Base Media, and founder of IndieVoices.
Getting just the right dynamic is another key to making social media profitable.
“I am absolutely convinced that nobody yet has cracked that code,” Vucinic said.
What does the future hold for journalism? The panel members agree nothing is certain for sure, except the fact that debates will continue – especially on how the media should adjust to the demand for “instant information.”
“This incremental reporting mode of putting out information that is not necessarily in context or offering perspective because there is demand for this instantaneous delay of information – we will continue to grapple with that as we move forward. Are we serving the public well? There is a difference between serving the public and serving the public well,” Arena said. – Rappler.com
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