This week, I’ve read a few articles talking about the journalism industry. The question of objectivity continues to be of big debate. And, with the advent of social media, the journalism industry (and the rest of the world) is struggling to figure out how to adapt. Whether you are a public relations professional, a business or non-profit, it’s important to keep a finger on the pulse of the changing industry so you can understand how to best work with the media.

Here are a few articles I’ve read this week discussing social media, objectivity and one of the industry’s biggest questions – “who’s a journalist, anyway?”

• The Future of Journalism: Take a Stand – A blogger from Minnpost.com responds to an article written by the Columbia Journalism Review. Both articles debate the question of journalist objectivity.Is that really a goal to be obtained? Read these articles to see their thoughts.
• Shield Law: Definition of Journalist gets Professionalized – The Nieman Journalism Lab at Harvard reports on the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee adopting an amendment that does not offer protection to amateur journalists (aka unpaid bloggers). According to their definition, you must be a paid employee of a news organization to qualify as a journalist. Do you agree?
• Fisher, Titans upset over station’s reporting tactics on Givens’ lawsuit – In Nashville, there’s been a big scuttle over a reporter using old footage to cover a breaking story. The reporter’s story failed to mention the interview was conducted weeks before news of the lawsuit broke. Additionally, the reporter portrayed the interview as an “exclusive” in response to the lawsuit. This article highlights several problems with how this story was reported. What do you think about this? Additionally, do you think the news director’s public statement did a good job of responding to the reporter’s story?

What are your thoughts on the changing industry of journalism? Is objectivity dead? Should bloggers be considered legitimate media?

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