I was lucky enough to hear Tom Rosenstiel — one of the authors of “The Elements of Journalism” — speak this week on redefining journalism in today’s rapidly evolving digital age.
Rosenstiel talked about his book, his views on journalism and his work at the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism.
Here are a few takeways from Tom’s guest lecture:
“Be hyper local. If you’re the Toledo Blade, just cover Toledo.”
“Journalism has transformed from a product to a service. Find out who you are serving and do it well.”
“Be engaging. Experiment with new tools for journalism.”
“Today’s journalists need to have values, skills, institutional knowledge and credibility.”
If you haven’t read “The Elements of Journalism: What Newspeople Should Know and the Public Should Expect” I recommend it. It’s been updated with a new look at making journalism relevant and useful for today’s public.
In it Rosentiel and Bill Kovach write about journalistic truth as a process and discuss techniques for improving synthesis, and verification. The authors emphasize the importance of journalists opening up with their audience. Sometimes accuracy isn’t enough. Provide context where it matters. Remembering that citizens are not customers and they expect more than just a formulaic approach from journalists. “People are simply more complex than the categories and stereotypes we create for them.”