From the consumer's standpoint, the information future is rich with choice and possibility. For the journalist, the view is more troubling. Unquestionably, the journalistic process, in which content is carefully gathered and edited, will be a defining difference between genuine news product and all else in the digital domain. Ultimately, it is the integrity of the newsgathering and editing processes that distinguishes the journalist from others who seek to serve similar information needs. Journalism has professional standards, an editorial structure, and a hierarchy that can impose sanctions for failing to adhere to standards.
Journalists select and organize content and thereby add value to it.
We also have the skills required to make information accessible to the general public. But we cannot rely on these strengths alone. Technology is tearing down barriers and creating new opportunities with great speed. They will also change the nature of the relationship between journalists and the public we serve. Too many of us either hate it, ignore it, or love it so blindly that we miss its true direction.