The final of Sir Isaac Newton's three Laws of Motion states that for every action (force) in nature, there is an equal and opposite reaction. While this law is grounded in physics, it also has application to today's damaged economy, in particular the newspaper industry.
It's easy to make such a comparison when one considers how so-called Content Mills are going viral in replacing dead-tree journalism and companion Web sites in the face of drastic cuts in staff and coverage dogging the Fourth Estate.
Call it stodgy and perhaps a bit dated in a rapidly expanding paperless society, but paper news delivery at least gave readers some reasonable assurance that a real news organization captured the information before them.
Sorry to break the stereotype but journalists are trained professionals who skillfully gather news and report what they've learned in a way that brings insight and clarity to the average reader about a range of topics, from silly and simple to complex and horrific.
Somehow, in this dreadful economy, many have begun to question the value professional journalists bring to our society by thinking anyone can go out, cover the news (however you define it), bring back the facts and package it in a reader-friendly way. How else can you explain the rise of Content Mills such as examiner.com, about.com, suite101.com, and demandstudios.com.
I don't begrudge folks trying their hands at journalism and writing (Disclosure: I'm biased on the subject because of my 30 years as a newspaper journalist). But people who think pen, pad, paper, iPad, video camera or phone makes you a reporter are borderline delusional.
The process of becoming a good journalist takes time, practice, patience, and a willingness on the part of veteran news people to show rookies the ropes. It was -- and still should be -- an apprenticeship while you learn what the craft requires and what you need to bring to the table.
Why do I think Content Mills are so bad?
It's simply because they make it seem anyone can write and report like a professional journalist. These crank-it-out operations, which are littering the Web today from job boards to topic postings, offer false hope to those who want to find expression -- and some paying work -- through writing.
Most of the Content Mills pay a mere fraction, if anything, to contributing writers (some, sadly, former journalists) to provide content on a variety of topics. How is this any better than Wikipedia, a free open-source encyclopedia which accepts contributions from anybody willing to cite source material?
It all comes down to one word: standards.
If you want to believe everything you read in print and on the Web is 100 percent accurate, then I have a bridge to sell you in the middle of the Arizona desert.
But if you have an interest in maintaining standards and the quality of the news you receive, then I'd advise you keep a firm grip on dead-tree reporting and its next-of-kin, newspaper Web sites. Why settle for less?
As for me, I practice what I preach at writenowworks.com.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
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