The Flight From Journalism

More broadly, as a close observer of the decline of journalism over the past decade or so, I find it disappointing to hear that another journalist has gone to the “dark side” of public relations. The flight from journalism is concerning for two reasons. First, independent journalism — when done well — offers our best opportunity to become competent, self-governing citizens in a democracy. Without quality information obtained and distributed by folks who know who to call and what to ask, we are at the mercy of the wealthy and the powerful. Second, those who leave journalism often move to PR, as Popkey did, which means not only less independent reporting but also more carefully crafted one-sided messaging. The ratio of PR practitioners to journalists in the United States now exceeds 4-to-1, and traditional news outlets continue to contract under financial strain and technological disruption. News outlets are forced to rely on PR “ information subsidies ” to help cut costs and save time/ Seth Ashley , Blue Review. More here .

Question: Where are you going to get your news when the journalists are gone?