Independence. It is something that is both encouraged and discouraged in this modern technical world. We humans are social creatures, and yet we brag about the shows we binge watch. This juxtaposition is effecting the way journalism is being viewed and consumed. As a journalist you need to find a story and have the tenacity to follow through.
For a journalist independence is an essential part of the job. To be independent means more than the capacity for thinking and acting for oneself. As the American Press Institute says in The Elements of Journalism “in our independence, however, journalists must avoid straying into arrogance, elitism, isolation or nihilism.” These seem like easy characteristics to avoid but in first-to-publish mentality of daily news, sensational stories sell.
Journalism has always been a collaborative business. In this digital era, this element of collaboration has expanded across the globe. However, journalists now have to be more than a jack of all trades, they need to be digital natives. As print media becomes a more expensive, and a tedious commodity, online media has expanded exponentially. This change of medium has also created the demand for know-how. A journalist who can write and produce, as well as edit multimedia platforms, will have the skills to develop stories. This independence is critical for online publications as the internet does not have the time constraints as print. The public consume online media differently to print, they want it to be aesthetically pleasing as well as informative.
Cuba’s New Generation of Independent Women Journalists, published by the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, tells of inspiring women who share their experiences with the world. It inspires us to know that with the right skills, a story can have a real impact.
