For its entire existence, journalism has consistently evolved to meet the ever-changing demands of society. In the last decade, this evolution has sped up rapidly, with ink jumping off printed pages and sticking to digital sources. On Tuesday, four experienced professionals will come to Fairfax to discuss these changes and others yet to come.
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences will host, “Whatever Happened to Journalism,” on Tuesday, Oct. 25 at 12 p.m. in George’s Restaurant on the third floor of the Johnson Center. The event is free and open to the public. Students are encouraged to attend.
The panel will consist of:
- Steven Pearlstein, Robinson Professor of Public and International Affairs and Pulitzer prize-winning Washington Post business columnist
- Juan Williams, FOX News analyst, formerly with the Washington Post and NPR
- Angie Goff, BA '01 (Communication), NBC Washington anchor and former WUSA 9 anchor and reporter
- Moderator: Kathleen deLaski, member of George Mason University’s Board of Visitors, formerly with ABC News and NBC News
They will discuss the past, present and future of journalism, and are sure to touch on the emergence of online news and social media as news sources.
“With [the] rise of social media, the lines have become too blurred between who is a journalist and who's a contributor,” Goff said. “Information can be shared faster than ever before, but with that comes even a bigger responsibility to get the facts right.”
According to deLaski, the public’s appetite for news has dissolved, even as new technologies allow people to stay connected, no matter where they go. Throughout her 20 years as a television and online journalist, technology has gotten smarter.
“Steve Jobs saved the record industry by convincing us to pay 99 cents for a song,” deLaski said. “With the death knell of print, will we help save journalism by paying 50 cents to download a news story? So far, most customers are saying no. Bad news for the republic.”
Gary Kreps, chair of the Department of Communication at Mason, believes journalism as a whole is in need of a fresh jolt.
“We depend on access to current and reliable information to participate meaningfully in modern society,” he said. “Current challenges to journalism have threatened the flow of relevant information and diminished public awareness and involvement in shaping modern social policy. We need to reinvigorate journalism to promote democratic participation in public affairs.”
Jack Censer, dean of the college, believes the panel comes at a good time for Mason students. According to a 2009 Forbes report, enrollment in journalism programs is increasing, even as jobs dwindle. According to a 2010 University of Georgia study, undergraduate enrollment in journalism and mass communication programs increased by 2 percent nationwide, master’s enrollment increased by 13.4 percent, and doctoral enrollment increased by 6.3 percent.
“The main reason, beyond career aspirations, that students enroll in journalism programs is because of the absolute integral part that the press plays in political developments and sustaining democracy,” Censer said. “We see today, even though it isn’t through a printed medium, that social media has played a radical new role across the world in areas such as Libya, Iraq, Syria and Egypt.”
Whatever happened to journalism? On Tuesday, the Mason community will find out.