In a week, I will walk down the hill as a graduate of the University of Kansas with a journalism degree. I know I should be proud of my accomplishment, but lately I've been asking myself: How much is a journalism degree worth these days?
It seems like every day we hear about budget cuts, layoffs, shrinking newsrooms, and newspapers closing. The fact is, quality journalism takes time and costs money. And when information is given away for absolutely free (via the Internet) reporting and writing is compromised. I've heard of journalists themselves discussing how great it is that people can access information for free, but without a viable business model, journalism becomes more of a hobby, not a career.
So, what's in store for the future? It's quite obvious that traditional media, such as newspapers, are becoming less and less important and convergence of media on the Web is here to stay. It's up to passionate journalists to do their best with what's available to them to uncover stories and present them in a multimedia medium. Again though, journalism costs money, and when the product is given away for free, it will eventually become extinct.
Recently, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing about the future of journalism. David Simon, former reporter and creator of "The Wire" testified before the committee. He has some interesting ideas, including charging for Web site content. This seems like the most obvious and logical idea. Information costs money to gather and produce, so it shouldn't be given away for free. At the very least, certain, specialized sections should require paid subscriptions.
No one knows what will happen to the journalism industry. At the very least, it's a promising sign that experienced, knowledgable people are getting together to offer their best solutions.
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