Audiences lose trust in journalists
by Vanessa Macdonald - editorial@di-ve.comCurrent Affairs -- 19 February 2009 -- 09:40CEST
A leading journalist, who writes extensively about internet journalism, has warned that classical journalism is in a crisis, as audiences no longer take things automatically on trust but use internet to look for information themselves.
Jean-Francois Fogel has worked with Agence France-Presse, Liberation, Le Point and Le Monde, as well as working extensively with the Spanish media.
He recently co-authored a book with Bruno Patino on "Une presse sans Gutenberg" (A press without Gutenberg), an essay about journalism and the digital technologies.
He is the guest speaker at a talk being presented by the French Embassy and the Today Public Policy Institute at the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on Tuesday February 24 at 1800h. The talk is entitled: "The new internet: Press v audience".
“Journalists have lost the silent, at times admiring, audience wishing to trust in whatever they say. The modern reception of the press is a suspicious one. The audience prefers to look for information on its own, using websites and tools on the internet to build up its own vision of what should be the news of the day,” he told www.di-ve.com in an email interview.
“Last but not least, comments are overused in order to denounce mistakes or prejudices from the press.”
Internet has also allowed the audience to become the journalist – through blogs, for example. Mr Fogel thinks that this phenomenon will continue to evolve.
“I don't believe that journalism is so important that it could be left in the hand of journalists. That is, more or less, what people supporting ‘citizen journalism’ are saying. Journalism is a serious business, yes, but journalists and the audience have a different part to play. The problem for the press is that now both parts are important. Press and audience are married and they can't divorce.
“The press of the future will be a different one: there will be new media, a different relationship with the audience, the increased presence of the audience.
“The traditional media which survive will be those willing to make tremendous changes. But the fundamentals of what constitutes good journalism will not change: a disinterested, independent voice speaking about public affairs for the sake of everybody.”
Mr Fogel thinks that the crisis is also a commercial one, as the media loses its business model, with reducing newspaper circulation, fragmentation of TV audience, and diminishing advertising income.
“The advertising business is moving from classical media to the web but the most successful sites aren't news websites. And the most successful way to sell ads is not through display but research. That's the reason why Google is so powerful and wealthy,” he mused.
He recently co-authored a book with Bruno Patino on "Une presse sans Gutenberg" (A press without Gutenberg), an essay about journalism and the digital technologies.
He is the guest speaker at a talk being presented by the French Embassy and the Today Public Policy Institute at the Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry on Tuesday February 24 at 1800h. The talk is entitled: "The new internet: Press v audience". “Journalists have lost the silent, at times admiring, audience wishing to trust in whatever they say. The modern reception of the press is a suspicious one. The audience prefers to look for information on its own, using websites and tools on the internet to build up its own vision of what should be the news of the day,” he told www.di-ve.com in an email interview.
“Last but not least, comments are overused in order to denounce mistakes or prejudices from the press.”
Internet has also allowed the audience to become the journalist – through blogs, for example. Mr Fogel thinks that this phenomenon will continue to evolve.
“I don't believe that journalism is so important that it could be left in the hand of journalists. That is, more or less, what people supporting ‘citizen journalism’ are saying. Journalism is a serious business, yes, but journalists and the audience have a different part to play. The problem for the press is that now both parts are important. Press and audience are married and they can't divorce.
“The press of the future will be a different one: there will be new media, a different relationship with the audience, the increased presence of the audience.
“The traditional media which survive will be those willing to make tremendous changes. But the fundamentals of what constitutes good journalism will not change: a disinterested, independent voice speaking about public affairs for the sake of everybody.”
Mr Fogel thinks that the crisis is also a commercial one, as the media loses its business model, with reducing newspaper circulation, fragmentation of TV audience, and diminishing advertising income.
“The advertising business is moving from classical media to the web but the most successful sites aren't news websites. And the most successful way to sell ads is not through display but research. That's the reason why Google is so powerful and wealthy,” he mused.