Tuesday, February 3, 2009

New Forms of Journalism

We have all heard about how newspapers are laying off parts of their staffs or are closing due to financial difficulties. Hearing these things make people believe that journalism is dying. According to Dianne Lynch, Dean of the Park School at Ithaca College, journalism is not dying; it morphing into something different.

People get their news from the Internet nowadays. And why not? It's free, updated quickly and often it breaks stories before mainstream media can. Every morning I use the Internet to find out about the latest developments in the world. I tend go to traditional online news sources for that information, like the Washington Post and the New York Times. But there are so many other news sources available online.

They are, but not limited to: Everyblock, Apture, Talking Points Memo, Twitter, Democracy Now!, Wikipedia and blogs. These web sites prove that information is no longer controlled by a small group of people. Instead information is controlled by anyone who has a computer and something to say.

The most amazing thing about these news sources is that they are generating profits. Lynch told my class how a relative of hers writes a blog about food and exercise and makes $60,000 a year. I couldn't believe it. Her relative is making a good income on writing about things that everyone does on a daily basis. I can only hope that I will make that much money one day.

There is money to be made on the Internet. Those who embrace it will be the winners, and those who don't will be the losers.

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