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| Kayla Cormier |
By Kayla Cormier
Junior Classmanand editor of CHS Viking Journal
We live in a world of constant changes. There is always a new ‘best thing.’ The result of this fast-paced changing can be viewed in generational differences like no others we have seen in the past. There is not just a generational gap between grandparents and grandchildren, although this is the most pronounced, but there are pronounced generational differences between parents and children. In a sense, we have created a generation of change. Being a part of this generation means a different point of view on all aspects of life. As the current generation gears up to take over, we all must change with them.
Newspapers are not exempt from this change. In a relatively short amount of time we have transitioned from newspapers to the news on the radio, the news on the radio to the news on television; the news on television to news on the Internet. The Internet has provided the power to have what a person wants in seconds. We have all the information we need at our fingertips — whenever, wherever.
Different generations talk about integrity. They want the trustworthy news of their past. With bloggers and Facebook many are left questioning what is trustworthy and whom they should pay attention to. As I mentioned at the seminar, for my generation, however, the question is not one of integrity, but of speed. We want our information as soon as possible. It does not necessarily matter where we get it from, as long as we have it. Less value is placed on whether or not the sources have all the facts. It’s better to be quick and have to retract information, than to wait for all the information.
Some may view this as spreading gossip, but that is not the case. As is the case with technology, there is always the newest story to be heard. The world continues to become quicker and quicker, placing more of the responsibility of news on the audience. it’s up to the audience to decide if they want their news right away and have to work to find the truth through the lies, or wait for the accuracy that was once so desperately sought.
We learned at the seminar that there are still differences of opinion when it comes to this issue. It may be a while before we truly know what the true impact is of journalism, as we knew it in the past and the journalism of today.
