A Eulogy for The Journalistic Creed
By: Robert Turner
Tags: Press Freedom, Politics, Media, Freedom Of Speech, Journalism

A Eulogy for The Journalistic Creed

How the last decade dismantled impartial reporting

In 1914 Walter Williams compiled what would become the Creed of Journalists. The Creed is reproduced in its entirety in the footer of this article.

The Creed that lies at the heart of the journalistic profession is a simple one. Report facts. Merely this, nothing else. Do not interpret, merely report. Report uncovered truths and unfolding events that shape our world and matter for the betterment of our society and our fellow man.

By exposing corruption and injustice, journalists became society's moral watchdogs. Our spokesmen and women. They ensured those who stepped outside the boundaries of our societal norms were exposed and brought to account. They did this by reporting facts, conveying impartially what they observed and allowing readers to draw their own conclusions. In many ways, the kept players honest or held them to account.

The last decade has seen an insidious reversal in this role. The credibility enjoyed by this once respected and previously fiercely independent profession has been eroded. The accurate recounting of events and reporting of facts is no longer the driving force behind the journalistic profession. Affecting public opinion for the sake of the popular narrative now lies at the core of the industry.

What has happened in the last ten years that prompted this slide into opinion based and politicized reporting? How has the industry moved from merely reporting events to seeing themselves as influencers? The answers are complex and influenced by digital, political and societal factors.

The age of digital

The last decade has seen a complete and invasive expansion of the internet. It now permeates all aspects of our lives. We are truly connected as never before, not just locally, but globally.

Traditional media has been at the forefront of this expansion. Out of necessity, they have embraced technology. This was never a choice. It was about survival.

Existing historic business models depended on advertising revenues generated in printed publications or on-air mediums. The arrival of the internet rendered this business model all but obsolete as advertising moved online. To survive, publications had to diversify and embrace a digital existence or face closure.

These new business channels brought with them both salvation and new obstacles. Multi-billion dollar publications now found themselves at the mercy of the internet. Small, privately owned web-based publications competed with them on a digitally leveled playing field. Advertising and revenues now had to be shared with businesses that could offer cut-throat rates to advertisers and attract readers with equal ease.

Further pressure was brought to bear by news aggregators such as Feedly, Flipboard, and others. These platforms offered continuous streams of aggregated news and current event headlines and content to their customers. The birth of the endless list or feed of news and information had arrived and brought with it a whole new set of challenges for the media giants.

The sheer volume of information we are subjected to online has changed our reading habits. We now skim headline after headline, only reading those that catch our eye. Clickbait is now an industry standard to attract readers. To be noticed you have to stand out, no matter the cost.

This online world of information is now shaping and influencing our ethics, our business models and our right to expect impartial reporting. Almost without exception, all large media corporations have been coerced into playing the game. The alternative is to fade into obscurity.

It is difficult, if not impossible to maintain a clear and credible message in this environment and still ensure readership. Whilst not condoning the trend of large news corporations to conform to the clickbait trap or actively seek out controversy, it is understandable from a business viewpoint.