The things journalists / reporters, believe in are causing us the most trouble .
#1 Reporting what people say. What happens when they lie ? Police do not rely on what primary witnesses say . Reporters almost never talk to primary witnesses at breaking news events.
#2 The news angle or slant . In the case of the video Joseph Kony is well known, his exploits have already been reported . So what is new? What is news is that so many people have viewed the video . That becomes the angle . This has always been a problem for the people we cover , sometimes the emphasis on the “new” degrades or takes away from the message or issue at hand.
The “child soldier “, human trafficking ,is pushed back and the fact that millions of young people are taking notice is pushed forward . It is a back handed compliment , the mass of people seem to look shallow for not being more than just middle class viewers . The message of the video repeats “old news”to reporters , this is bad stuff , and someone should kill the bastard is secondary.
The fact that there is an education process or awakening to new audiences should mean something to a business that has not attracted new audiences .
Maybe the problem for our business is structural . Yes it is structural .The news angle does not account for news audiences , we speak only to the old middle class. Africa is the dark continent , who cares , is a attitude is held by baby boomers , it needs to be over come .
The idea that even old news should be repeated, if it is still relevant shouldn't take away from serious issue. Our business does diminish the issue for the sake of old formulas. This is a formula .
#3 The story angle has to create controversy or utter a future fear that is extended to a worst case scenario . Worst case scenarios seldom ever materialize. Crying wolf causes people to stop taking the business of reporting seriously.
When our business reports facts we are second to none. When we predict the future , we are embarrassingly bad.
The comments sections of the online product can reveal and direct stories in ways that empower readers and broaden the way report stories . Reporting in many cases is a mile wide and an inch deep.
Even ignorant and racist comment reveal that these to are our readers , these people do exist . The CBC and other media would like to ignore these segments , but they gain power in the silence .
Social networking has evolved the way that ordinary people want it . The business world has been excluded . Really smart people are the owners of the platform . The platform ownership is something media has controlled untill now. We are now renters of platforms . We don't do this well.