The Internet has devalued all forms of ‘old’ media. Newspapers and TV news are traditional and out-dated mediums of communication, according to Canadian journalist Jesse Brown. ‘The future of traditional print journalism is dead’ was the message of the 78th annual student journalism conference, known as NASH. Despite administrative turmoil in the Canadian University Press, the five-day conference ran smoothly as student journalists from Canadian universities attended panel discussions and seminars with more than 50 of Canada’s top journalists. Seminar topics ranged from women’s safety in journalism, to creating podcasts, to media law.
Though the speaker line-up was impressive—keynote speakers included Toronto Star publisher John Cruickshank, Toronto Sun editor Adrienne Batra, and Chatelaine editor-in-chief Lianne George, to name a few—the message was harsh. The bleak reality, that the field of journalism is holding on for dear life as it struggles to maintain its traditional roots, was in no way sugar-coated for the young journalists in attendance. The death of legacy media means no jobs for young blood. As the newsroom shrinks, the hopes and dreams of a traditional career shrink with it. The unsettling truth means one thing: things are changing.
Despite the uncertainty of journalism’s future, there was still hope to be found. “At the heart of creative work is belief,” says Esquire magazine writer-at-large Chris Jones.
Jones’ sharp contrast from the doomsday tone of the keynote speakers reflects a glimmer of optimism for the futures of aspiring writers.
The trend away from legacy media could not be more painfully obvious. Toronto Star publisher John Cruickshank emphasized the paper’s necessary shift toward the tablet app. Adapting to digital platforms is now the only way to survive.
