Survey Finds Traditional Journalism "Out of Touch"

[engine]

Nearly 70 percent of Americans believe traditional journalism is out of touch, and nearly half are turning to the Internet to get their news, according to a new survey.

While most people think journalism is important to the quality of life, 64 percent are dissatisfied with the quality of journalism in their communities, a We Media/Zogby Interactive online poll showed.

"That's a really encouraging reflection of people who care A) about journalism and B) understand that it makes a difference to their lives," said Andrew Nachison, of iFOCOS, a Virginia-based think tank which organized a forum in Miami where the findings were presented.

Survey Finds Traditional Journalism "Out of Touch" [uk.reuters.com]

[Syzygy]

...traditional journalism out of touch...

What does that mean exactly? The survey is somewhat vague at best!

Are they saying that journalists working in traditional mediums are out of touch with the modern world? Do they mean that traditional media is considered old fashioned, and if so, why? Are they stating that the quality of journalism in, say, the New York Times, is of a higher standard online than the print version (which would be somewhat odd)?

In what sense are people dissatisfied with the "quality of journalism"? Are there too many spelling mistakes and is the grammar not up to standard? Is it bias in the reporting? What exactly?

As far as journalism goes, the survey creators, or, indeed, those reporting on it, have come up with a pretty poor story!

I must make known my dissatisfaction with the quality of online journalism...:-)

Syzygy

[ronin]

I thought Johnny Borrell of Razorlight hit the nail on the head in 2006 when he sang:

Theres nothing on the TV nothing on the radio
That means that much to me

All my life
Watching America
All my life
There's panic in America
Oh Oh Oh, Oh
There's trouble in America
Oh Oh Oh, Oh

When the news stops being "your news" and instead becomes stories which have no relevance to your life or your world and are just intended to make you feel vaguely uncomfortable so you (possibly) turn to retail therapy to feel better... that's when the news is out of touch.

[weeks]

The industry doesn't completely disagree.

For example, the new "Newspaper Next" report says local newspapers need to become indispensable online guide to everything that anyone in their local community needs to know to live in the community. A few have tried to do this. (AJC.com in Atlanta is a good example, I think.)

If you really want to get into it, below is a link to the report. One observer noted that the industry's report isn't on a web site, but has to be downloaded in PDF format to be printed. Ha. That is, indeed, telling.

[newspapernext.org...]

[hannamyluv]

In the niche that I blog in, we are seeing this. Traditional media is failing to adapt to the new generation and so the new generation is looking to an online community for information.