Journalism is the act of telling stories. These stories can be bleak, exciting, passionate, mundane or even tragic. The one thing that all of these stories have in common is that someone, somewhere, believes they must be told.
As we progress as a society, the way we tell these stories is changing. Exposing the truth is more important than ever. The #MeToo Movement, our current political discourse and dozens of other urgent topics have changed the way we feel about journalism. The New York Times has notably shifted their reporting style to match the environment we are currently living in. They put heavy emphasis on “Finding the truth” and “exploring the full story.” Their website enforces the idea that above all, journalism is about finding factual information that can inform and educate the general public.
I worked as a reporter for The Oakland Post, Oakland University’s student-run newspaper. The search for truth isn’t only present at major news outlets with large audiences. We are required to always have two sources, share multiple quotes and fact check our information. Stories that are not properly vetted often require retractions. To share fake news is a disservice to readers and the paper itself.
Journalism is returning to a pure form in the sense of its topics. Readers want to know the facts. They have a desire for clear-cut, important stories. Despite this traditional uprising, the way we share news is more abstract than ever. “The More We Know the More We See” by David Natharius highlights the ways that photojournalism has provided new insights to readers (or in this case, viewers). He suggests that we are shifting from literacy to visuality.
In a time of rampant social media use, media consumers can now get their news on a wide variety of platforms, designed for dwindling attention spans. This is a convenient development, specifically for millennials. By simply logging into apps like Twitter and Facebook, consumers can see the most prevalent headlines.
I recently took on the role of Social Media Editor at The Oakland Post. This job has given me direct insight into what stories get the most attention and why. Hot topic issues are posted first, shared the most and commented on far more than things like reviews and sports reporting. Sharing photos that relate to stories and creating attention-grabbing captions can often boost a story. As a visual culture, it’s important that people are given the oppurtunity to see their news as well as read it.
Jordan Jewell 