@JordanRaynor posted this on his blog and it reminded me of a conversation I had with some colleagues a while back when Bob Stein came and spoke at my university.  Bob was talking about the future of the book and naturally the conversation led to discussing how people would/should deal with being overloaded with information and the role of journalists.  What place would this changing mediascape have for journalists?  Would they be transformed into glorified readers? And would this be a bad thing?  I personally don’t think the new mediascape is a threat to journalism – I think it actually makes them more relevant than before.  Perhaps the way we teach journalism needs to change, but our world still has a place for trained investigators who seek to uncover the truth and who have skills in how to interview and check facts.  The legion of people armed with cell phones aren’t a threat to these individuals, but the institution that surrounds them.  The institution doesn’t represent them, but rather is a mere extension.  It’s a common misperception, where we come to believe the extension (the institution) is more real than what it extends (the process of journalism).  We aren’t witnessing the death of journalism, but the death of the institution of journalism.  And to recall the oft heard dictum: in order for it to survive, it has to change.

What’s more, if we’re worried about the quality of information when everyone has a voice (a problem that is progressively being solved by sophisticated online community approval systems), why not start by modifying our pedagogy to help inspire more creative, discerning thinkers?  We could start with the journalists.  Since they are already being trained to evaluate information, why not reinvent their curriculum to reflect the reality of the information landscape.  Some of them could be trained as professional readers (though, one may argue that this is what some bloggers already are).  Just a thought.

Below is an interesting discussion about what constitutes “legitimate” journalism.