Welcome Back, Strategic Communicators!

Hey communicators and welcome back to my professional blog!

The last time we all were here, we shared this space to exchange our thoughts about Leadership and Media Strategies. Now, we are back and the course has switched just a little. Every week, I will now exchange my thoughts, still being a strategic communications professional, but under the guise of emerging media.

For the returning readers, thank you so much for coming back, and, for the new readers, thank you as well and I look forward to your continued return. Before we get started on the new entry, all me to reintroduce myself...

My name is Jatavia, sometimes I prefer Jai (pronounced like the tenth letter of the alphabet), but either is fine. I am a Master's Degree candidate at Troy University, pursuing my degree in Strategic Communication and graduating in the next few months. How exciting! As of now, I work for a leading news station as a Digital Content Producer in Georgia. I've been in this career for a year and a half. I attended Albany State University (GO RAMS!), where I received my Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with a concentration in Electronic Media. After graduation, I have hopes in switching into the world of Public Relations while also focusing on being a Content Creator.

Now that you all know a little bit about me, let's get into the topic for this week: Newspapers, more specifically its decline.

In our class discussion this week, I told a short story about growing up watching my grandmother read the newspaper. Every morning, either she or I would head to the mailbox and bring the paper in. She would make her coffee then sit and read the paper from front to back. I would not be too far away to grab the funnies from her and proceed to read and laugh away. That routine was something I looked forward to having when I become an adult. However, because of the decline and death of printed news, that day never came.

I have vivid memories of the newspaper being so prominent from adults having the jobs of being professional paper throwers to selling the "big" paper in front of stores every Sunday. I am a few years shy of 30 years old and I have never purchased a newspaper.

Technology has advanced and changed so many aspects of our day-to-day lives. With a swipe of a screen or push of an app, we literally have endless information at our fingertips, so the decline of print news seemed inevitable. According to the Pew Research Center, the print newspaper industry has experienced a dramatic decline over the past two decades. Since 2004, weekday newspaper circulation in the United States has plummeted by 57%.

Many news outlets have scraped print all together and transitioned strictly to digital. In my opinion, those who have made the switch, are seeing that delivering the news comes with more work than before. There are so many alternative news sources that have gained popularity that the once reliable newspaper sources have to work to keep up with the demand and quickness of news.

Where newspapers had the time to curate well-researched and throughout articles, prior to the digital boom, now, it's all about being first. Digital newspapers still not only have to the responsibility of keeping the integrity of a good well-written article, but social media also has to be implemented to stay on readers' radar.

To be quite honest, I think the death of print news has already come upon us. Prints like magazines and other news articles that are still around and more for nostalgia’s sake. Phones, tablets, and iPad have taken over and I don't think that we are turning back to printed paper anytime soon. Really ever. Now, instead of being the adult that grabs my coffee, sits in my chair, and gets my news from the daily printed paper, my reality is rolling over from my sleep, grabbing my phone, and consuming it via social media or alternative news outlets. Not my grandmother’s way, but this is the new digital actuality of news.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Not 'what', but 'why'... The Golden Circle

Image
Welcome back! This week our class discussion centered on a TED Talk by Simon Sinek . In the presentation, Simon spoke about how great leaders inspire action. Throughout the talk, there were a lot of takeaways, but the biggest one that has been cycling in my head is when he states, "People don't buy what you do, they buy why." As a former marketing professional, that was the thing I would inform clients about all the time. People buy into the person or the why, not the product or what.  Simon continued by drawing a diagram he called The Golden Circle, saying great leaders and organizations all communicate the same way -- by telling their 'why' first. In the visual, most people would think to go from the outside and work their way in... tell what you do, how you do it then the reason why. However, Simon explains that great inspirators work from the inside out -- telling why, how then the what.  Going back to marketing the problem is not getting people's attentio...
Read more

Friend or Foe?

The late and great Tupac Shakur proposed the question, "Is [Are] you a friend or foe?" in his song 1996 song 'Can't C Me.' In a cyber-driven world marked by information overload and digital interconnectivity, the trust that Americans have in mainstream media has become quite an issue. Mainstream media was once a go-to authority that shaped public opinion. Now, the confidence that we once had in those outlets has reached a historic low. In a study conducted by Gallup, nearly 70 percent of American adults say they either do not have very much confidence or none at all in TV, newspaper or radio. This begs the question of what factors have contributed to this drastic change over the years. Is the media for us if it's not by us? Are they a friend or foe? The complexity of the relationship between the media and the public has evolved over time, being molded by differing political views, technological advancements, juicy scandals, fake news and more. These factors ha...
Read more

The Art of Open Communication: How to Create a Culture of Transparency within Your Organization

Do you know what they say about communication? It’s the key to any successful relationship.  The ability to communicate openly and honestly can make all the difference, whether it is personal or professional. As for internal communications within the company, that is no different. Actually, it's more important than that because misunderstandings and misinterpretations can take place without open and confidential information, which results in a wide range of problems that have an impact on profitability. So how is it possible for an organization to develop a culture of open communication? Let's come in and see how it goes. Step 1: Lead by Example A leader plays an essential role in setting the tone for open communications. It is imperative that you make yourself clear, honest, and accessible. You have to actively listen to your employees and accept their ideas and concerns, as well as be open to feedback. Do not speak of the need for openness, but demonstrate it. Your team will ...
Read more