Journalism in the United States of America had extremely humble beginnings. At first, American journalism was used as a political force to persuade readers to join forces with the Americans in an attempt to promote American independence. Once American independence was granted and the U.S. Constitution guaranteed freedom of speech and press, the American newspaper became commonplace. They became so popular during the early 20th century that most Americans would read newspapers more than once per day. Now, in the 21st century, American journalism has experienced dramatic changes. Social media technologies like Twitter as well as news apps that can easily be downloaded to your iPhone have made news and articles more accessible than ever. Also, people of all shapes and sizes have the ability to share their writing with the world. Although articles and news are more accessible than ever it seems that this accessibility has led to a shift in American journalism. The new age of 21st century journalism is comprised of less paper and more lists.
First off, the number of Americans reading the newspaper is lower than it has ever been. According to a CBS study, only 29 percent of American’s said that they read a newspaper yesterday. With only 23 percent of these Americans reading a print newspaper. Although Americans love to watch the news from the comfort of their couch, they seem to be less interested in putting on the reading glasses, opening up the paper and diving into the newest Robert Fisk or Christiane Amanpour article. The fact of the matter is that Americans would rather scan over an article on their iPhones than sit down and read.
Due to the explosion of social media, blog sights, and online forums like Reddit, now more than ever people can put their writing out there for the entire world to see. Specifically, because of the social media explosion, the millennial generation has stepped up to the plate. Millennials, who grew up during the rise of the Internet, are well versed in how to communicate online. Although this has allowed millions to voice their opinions and express themselves it has changed the nature of journalism. Instead of well-researched, organized and produced articles the majority of writing we see is pointless. The buzzword articles that are comprised of lists and topics are arbitrary and, honestly, they piss me off. I would much rather write an article of substance than one that is optimal for Facebook sharing. Although an article like “The 7 signs that you are a broke college student” will grab your attention while you are scrolling down your Facebook feed, is this article truly worth anything? Will it intellectually challenge you? Will it make you question things? Probably not.
Although journalism has experienced dramatic change since America was given its Independence, journalism is still just as impactful. Now, in the globalized 21st century, we have the ability to share visions and ideas with millions with a click of a button. For millennials who want to express themselves, find their voice and help others find their own, this is a golden opportunity. However, for those who are wasting this opportunity by writing nonsense for its own sake, I wouldn’t expect a call from the New York Times anytime soon.
