City Research Online

Abstract

The occupation of journalism has changed very dramatically very fast. Until the 1990s, journalists produced content for a single outlet, such as a newspaper or television program, and they produced it in a single format – printed words, say, or sound, or moving images. Most of them worked in stable media industries that, thanks largely to a lucrative advertising-based revenue model, had been highly profitable for decades if not centuries, and they had something close to a monopoly on providing news to the public. Outside the newsroom, almost all their work-related communication was with sources; only rarely did they interact directly with readers, viewers, or listeners.

None of those things is true today.

This chapter surveys changes to journalism since the rise of the internet as a popular medium, as well as the challenges of managing the transition. It touches on shifts in journalists’ tasks, roles and self-perceptions, and occupational culture. The overarching message for those preparing to enter, manage, and study the media workforce is: Be flexible. More change is the only thing you can count on.

Publication Type:	Book Section
Additional Information:	Distributing, reselling, or any re-purposing of the content is not allowed. SAGE material is not to be used for commercial MOOCs or any other commercial purposes without permission.
Subjects:	P Language and Literature > PN Literature (General)
Departments:	School of Communication & Creativity > Journalism

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