New Media vs. Old Media

Did you catch the highlights of the latest study conducted by the Old Media in a desperate attempt to figure out why they are losing their grip?

Last week, the Associated Press Managing Editors, the Pew Center for Civic Journalism and the National Conference of Editorial Writers released the results of a study they commissioned titled, "New Attitudes, Tools and Techniques Change Journalism's Landscapes."

Here are the big conclusions:

• Nine out of 10 editors believe the future health of the newspaper industry depends on more interactivity with readers;

• A majority of the editors admit they are spending less time focused on what was once American journalism's primary role – covering government;

• Few in charge of the newsrooms view their role as simply disseminators of facts.

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All in all, I would say the study is excellent news for WorldNetDaily and the New Media and a harbinger of disaster for the Old Guard.

Not all that long ago, newspaper editors didn't rely on focus groups, public opinion surveys and pseudo-scientific studies to determine what they should be doing with their time and what it was the public wanted. They knew what they were supposed to do and assumed there would be a market for it.

Those were the days when journalists understood intuitively that the central role of a free press in a free society is to serve as a watchdog on government. Oh, sure, newspapers always did other things – publish wedding announcements, run classified ads, watch the police blotter. But, believe it or not, my friends, I remember the day – not that long ago – when my colleagues would agree that the main function of a free press is to expose government fraud, waste, abuse and corruption.

That is no longer the case. And this study documents just how far the press has fallen – how my colleagues have lost their moorings.

Want to know what newspaper editors now think their No. 1 role is?

In the latest study, ranked far and above all other job descriptions was "news explainer." Do you believe that? In other words, newspaper editors don't think their job is to report the news. They believe their job is to explain it to their stupid readers.

Here are some other ideas they have about the role of the press. Some suggested that the newspaper should be "a catalyst for community conversation" or a "community steward." More editors believed in those values than in the "investigative watchdog" role.

In fact, only 16 percent of the editors even cited the "watchdog" role.

"Unprompted answers that could be grouped under the rubric of 'opinion leader and agenda setter' topped the list along with those grouped under the general category of 'community leader or good corporate citizen,'" explained the study.

Why am I not surprised that Old Media news people see themselves as "agenda setters" and "opinion leaders"?

The editors also mentioned they are spending more time covering issues such as health care, personal fitness, personal finance, the environment, diversity and lifestyle than they are covering government.

Here are some sample quotes from the editors:

• "The newspaper should help set the agenda and be an agent for positive change."

• "The newspaper is an emotional, not an informational experience."

• "We should help build community by making people feel connected and by providing editorial and news leadership on important community lines."

Gobbledygook. Psychobabble. New Age newspeak. This is why the Old Media are losing their grip. This is why circulation at daily newspapers has plummeted at the rate of between .5 and 1 percent every year for the last decade, with no signs of rebounding or even leveling off.

But it's good news for WorldNetDaily and the New Media. The field is wide open for competition now. The Old Guard still doesn't even see what's coming for them.

Contrast the meaninglessness of what those newspapers say about their role with our cohesive, succinct and precise mission statement here at WorldNetDaily: "WorldNetDaily.com is an independent newssite created to capitalize on new media technology, to reinvigorate and revitalize the role of the free press as a guardian of liberty, an exponent of truth and justice, an uncompromising disseminator of news. WorldNetDaily.com performs this function by remaining faithful to the central role of a free press in a free society:
as a watchdog exposing government waste, fraud, corruption and abuse of power – the mission envisioned by our founders and
protected in the First Amendment of the Constitution."

You choose which vision better suits your needs.