“The Rise of Digital Journalism: Past, Present, Future.” Maryville University. 2022. https://online.maryville.edu/blog/digital-journalism/
Summary and Review
“The Rise of Digital Journalism” provides students interested in Maryville University’s Bachelor’s in English degree with an overview of the field. Though brief, it offers unique benefits absent in other texts.
The site begins with a brief history, mentioning Benjamin Franklin’s role in creating American newspapers but marking the 1900s as journalism’s true start because that’s when “independent newspapers with full-time reporters” appeared and “the concept of popular media” took hold. That era ended when television news became dominant. Other notable benchmarks include the rise of cable news channels and Internet publications. In keeping with other journalism texts, the site treats the 21s century as a new benchmark: digital journalism’s origin.
First among this site’s strengths is a rare acknowledgment that although digital journalism increases speed and access, it also increases bias. The site explains that in traditional journalism, reporters served as “independent sources, attempting to deliver the news in a fact-based, objective manner.” In the digital age, objective reporters have been all but replaced by “citizen and activist journalists who openly have a bias or point of view, but still attempt to promote that perspective through a lens that includes fair framing, editing, and reporting.” My only critique of that explanation is that the citizen and activist journalists' fairness and their publications’ openness about their political biases vary wildly. Many large news providers claim objectivity and transparency while offering subtly couched support for a political perspective in what they cover and how they cover it. Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC all serve as examples of that bias.
The site’s list of technology tools is its second strength due to its brevity and visual format. Students in an undergraduate survey course don’t need intricate detail about tools that will likely change by the time they enter the field (if they choose to work in the field), but they will benefit from having a general understanding of what professionals use on a daily basis.
The site’s third unique facet is its clear categorization of journalism types: traditional, broadcast/cable, sports, print, investigative, etc. Under each heading, the site explains the type and how it overlaps with others (e.g., sports and print, investigative and broadcast). Like the list of tools, this brief and general overview is also an appropriate introduction to the field for students at the beginning stages of career exploration.
Lastly, the site gives an accurate depiction of challenges to employment in journalism, along with links to resources that offer more detailed information.
Based on this site’s unique content and free access, I would recommend it as assigned reading during the first weeks in any undergraduate journalism survey course.
Lesson Plan: Exploring Journalism Careers Activity and Discussion
After students have read the site's information in or outside of class, have them answer the following questions, or facilitate a discussion based on these questions:
What surprised you most about the history of journalism?
What information about careers in journalism did you find most useful?
Which technology tools are you familiar with? Which would you like to know more about?
Of the skills listed in the figure "In-Demand Skills for Journalism in the Digital Age," which do you possess?
Of the skills listed in the figure "In-Demand Skills for Journalism in the Digital Age," which do you think should be emphasized more in college courses?
Explain why you agree or disagree with the site's claim that objective reporters are being replaced with reporters who "openly have have a bias or point of view."
Explain why you agree or disagree with the site's claim that despite their bias or point of view, citizen or activist journalists "still attempt to promote that perspective through a lens that includes fair framing, editing, and reporting."
Elements to Consider in Evaluating Bias or Point of View
word choice (denotation vs. connotation), especially in headlines
image choice, size, and placement
article length and placement in the publication
authorship (high-profile, full-time reporter or generic "staff writer" designation)
order of information presented
details included, excluded, and emphasized
number and variety of perspectives included
comparison of perspectives provided in the article versus the publication.
OPTIONAL: This lesson could include a separate introduction to denotation and connotation as an added emphasis on emphasize critical reading and thinking skills.
Evaluation of Discussion Participation
Use the Activity Rubric to evaluate students' written contributions.
Use the Synchronous Discussion Rubric or Asynchronous Discussion Rubric to evaluate students' contributions.
Optional Application Activity: Show students different organizations' coverage of the same story and ask them to discuss these prompts:
Explain why you think a report is objective or biased.
What element(s) in one of the reports leads you to think the report is objective or biased?
Explain why you think the publisher for one of the reports is objective or biased. If you think it is biased, explain whether you think it is transparent about its bias.
Elements to Consider in Evaluating Bias or Point of View
word choice (denotation vs. connotation), especially in headlines
image choice, size, and placement
article length and placement in the publication
authorship (high-profile, full-time reporter or generic "staff writer" designation)
order of information presented
details included, excluded, and emphasized
number and variety of perspectives included
comparison of perspectives provided in the article versus the publication.
OPTIONAL: This lesson could include a separate introduction to denotation and connotation as an added emphasis on emphasize critical reading and thinking skills.
Use the Synchronous Discussion Rubric or Asynchronous Discussion Rubric to evaluate students' contributions.
Use the Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, and Media Literacy Rubrics if appropriate.