Journalism students, faculty and the public will get an insider’s perspective today on the challenges newsrooms nationwide are up against.
Boston Globe editor Martin Baron will speak on “The Shrinking Newsroom,” addressing the issues of delivering quality news while facing a struggling economy and changing news industry, at the School of Journalism and Communication’s annual Ruhl Lecture, which is free and open to the public and will take place in the EMU Ballroom at 4 p.m.
A veteran of The Miami Herald, the Los Angeles Times and The New York Times, Baron was recommended for the speech by SOJC faculty and selected by dean Tim Gleason.
For Baron, the shrinking newsroom is not just a theoretical scenario.
In a statement, journalism professor John Russial said, “As editor of the Globe, (Baron) has had to pilot a major metropolitan newspaper through the most turbulent economic waters newspapers have faced in the modern era.”
The Boston Globe announced Monday that it cut the equivalent of 50 full-time jobs from its newsroom through voluntary buyouts and layoffs of full- and part-time staff. Gleason said these recent decisions illustrate the relevance of Baron’s speech.
“This is somebody who as we speak is dealing with the difficult economic times and the business of journalism. I think he will bring the newsroom into the campus … and will bring an immediate view and a realistic view of the world that students are entering,” Gleason said.
These cuts, and fewer resources in general, make producing quality journalism all the more challenging for a news organization, Russial said.
Russial, who attended college with Baron at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa., said Baron’s experiences in leadership at some of the country’s best newspapers offer a compelling perspective for students and community members who are concerned for the future of newspaper.
Baron said he hopes to communicate in his speech the crucial role that journalism plays, especially in the investigative and enterprise work that often occurs in print-based news outlets.
“There’s a lot at stake here,” Baron said. “Newspapers have carried the burden of the most ambitious journalism that’s been done.”
Gleason said the topics addressed are relevant to a wide audience.
“This should be of interest not just to students in journalism, but to students who care about democracy and our political system,” Gleason said. “He will bring wisdom and insight for all members of the community.”
Baron will meet with several students for a question-and-answer session this morning to more specifically discuss students’ concerns.
Baron said in his speech he will also cover the entrepreneurial opportunities that exist in journalism that might be of interest to students who hope to go into news.
“The industry is changing very dramatically, but it’s not an entirely grim story,” he said. “It’s important for people to think about journalism, not just print.”
[email protected]
Shrinking newsrooms, broadening dialogue
Daily Emerald
April 1, 2009
0
More to Discover