[MUSIC] Change is inevitable, as journalists we generally prefer change to the status quo. It's more exciting to report about changes than the same old, same old. It may be an election that produces a new prime minister or president. It may be a startling new invention, or a sudden natural disaster, or a coup d'etat. Think of the stories generated by major changes in recent years, including the Arab Spring in the Middle East and North Africa, the meltdown of the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant in Japan and the rapid rise of the Islamic State, or Daesh. The world of journalism is rapidly changing as well, a fact that sometimes causes discomfort and distress among journalists in news organizations, because there change means we must quickly adapt to survive. Those changes involve technology of course, but also economics, the political climate of whichever countries we work in, professional training, ethical standards, advertising, and local cultural, religious, and historical traditions and expectations. Many of these factors closely relate to each other. Let's take a brief look at technological changes. While the first known newspaper appeared in Ancient Rome in 59 BC, it was Gutenberg's first printing press with movable type that sparked the intersection of publishing with technology. That was 1439. It took centuries for the pace of journalism related technology to pick up however. The invention of the telegraph in the mid 1800s meant reporters could send their stories much more quickly to their newspapers from distant battle fields and disaster sites. The invention of the telephone meant reporters could more easily interview sources without travelling for face to face meetings. The invention of the camera meant reporters could see actual images of people and events and places, rather than simply looking at sketches and drawings. The radio, the newsreel and the television all brought major changes in how journalists gathered news and presented it to audiences. Advances in transportation technologies made it easier to quickly distribute those magazines and newspapers to more distant places. As we all know, computers have changed every aspect of journalism, from production to reporting, from websites to blogs, from processing photos to designing graphics, from targeting advertisements to mobile news apps. Computers created the ability to reach vast audiences including those in remote villages, regardless of political borders. And perhaps unfortunately, computers have made it easier for content producers, whether they are professional journalists or not, to fabricate and distort material, disseminate false and incorrect information, deceive the public, manipulate photos, plagiarize and commit other ethical violations. On the economics front, changes that affect journalists include local and global recessions, as well as the rising and falling costs for fuel, salaries, travel, paper and equipment. The mergers of media companies and the birth of start-up media organizations both have had dramatic economic ramifications. Political climate change directly effects changes in journalism. They include government action to tighten or loosen controls on freedom of speech and the press, and to censor or shut down news organizations that criticize the government. The development of professional training in secondary schools, in universities, online, by media companies, by journalist unions and by journalist associations has expanded the skills of journalists and their ability to cover the news and issues in a fair, balanced, accurate, and ethical way. Similarly, stricter ethical standards have improved the reputation and credibility of the press in many countries, especially countries with a background of unethical behavior by journalists in the past. The internet has brought great changes to advertising, which has long been the major source of revenue for traditional news companies. Advertisers now have many more options to reach potential customers directly and through specialized websites rather than relying on general newspapers, magazines, radio stations and television stations. As for cultural, religious and historical traditions, some changes have improved journalism, while other changes have made journalists less independent. On the one hand, some countries have eliminated the tradition that the news media must supply only propaganda that supports the government without permitting opposition viewpoints or criticism. Where that has happened, it opened the doors to a freer press and fewer restrictions on how journalists work. But by contrast, in other countries, ultra-consertaive or fundamentalist traditions have reduced the ability of journalists to report impartially and independently. In those countries, the press has been suppressed. All these changes have a direct impact on career opportunities for journalists. Mainstream news organizations have cut staff, sometimes they've reduced salary and benefits for the employees who remain. However, specialty news outlets and news websites have created jobs for journalists who develop expertise on such topics as energy, health, international relations, environment, or transportation, or for those who focus on specific industries such as manufacturing, automotive or mining. More journalists are working as freelancers now. That means they may not have a steady paycheck, and must rely on learning entrepreneurship and marketing themselves. Because change is inevitable, as I said at the start of this lesson, we must consider how to take advantage of it to protect and advance the journalism careers we love. Here are my suggestions. Learn as many skills as possible. Throughout most of the 20th century, it was enough to be just a reporter or just a photographer, or just a copy editor. That's no longer true. Employers increasingly expect their professional staff to have a wide array of talents. You may be required to write a story for your news organization's print and web editions, take photographs, record podcasts, and shoot video. If you're working for a news organization, build a base of freelance clients. That supplements your income today, but also can provide a safety net if you lose your job in the future. Take advantage of training opportunities. Continue to develop and improve professional skills at workshops, with online classes and at journalism conferences. Network, meet editors, news directors, public relations practitioners, and other people who may be able to help you find jobs or assignments in the future. Be flexible, a change in technology or the economy today may hurt you, but the next change tomorrow, in a week, a month, or a year may help you. Finally, help protect press freedom. The freer a press system is, the more opportunities there'll be to do good journalism. Support groups that advocate in favor of freedom of the press. [MUSIC]
