Forum discusses the future of news

Journalists are at a point where they must face two essential questions: where is the future of the profession heading, and how can journalists keep to its core values?

National Press Club Vice President Donna Leinwand posed those questions Tuesday to four panelists as part of a Centennial Forum held in Carroll Hall.

The event, which drew about 75 people, celebrated the National Press Club’s 100th anniversary.

The four panelists were Orage Quarles, publisher of The (Raleigh) News and Observer; Penny Muse Abernathy, Knight chairwoman in digital media economics; Deborah Potter, director of NewsLab; and Jim Hefner, UNC professor and former vice president and general manager at WRAL.

“We want to bring attention and awareness to the transitions that are happening in journalism,” said Sylvia Smith, president of the club and Washington editor of The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette.

The forum, titled “First Amendment, Freedom of the Press and the Future of Journalism,” began with a video about the history of the National Press Club and continued with Leinwand, a UNC alumna, moderating the panel discussion.

Panelists answered questions about the economic future of journalism, the issue of citizen reporters, the Internet versus print journalism and how journalists should change the way they report the news.

Abernathy said that although the Internet has become a popular source in finding information, the future is still strong in print journalism.

“The role of journalism makes sense to society and is essential in making sense of the world,” she said.

The panelists further discussed the role of citizen journalists in today’s society and the fact that people want to participate in news coverage.

“They don’t want to be talked at anymore. They want to be involved,” Potter said.

The panelists agreed on most topics, with some discrepancy about the mixing of entertainment-based news and hard information, such as in “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”

Potter argued Stewart was a trustworthy journalist. She said those who watch The Daily Show are a very smart, savvy and well-informed audience.

“It’s an exciting time to be a journalist,” Potter said. “There are so many ways of telling stories now that never existed.”

Junior journalism major Jill Watral said she attended the event in hopes of getting insight on the future of journalism. She said her favorite parts were hearing about the controversies within broadcasting and the possibilities for journalism besides traditional newspapers.

“I have always heard the future of journalism to be so pessimistic and concerning,” Watral said. “It was nice to hear the panelists discuss it in such an optimistic way.”

Despite the economic problems many large newspapers have faced, the panelists said they believe in the future of journalism as a civic institution.

“I believe the nation is always going to rely on free press,” Quarles said. “The day that free press isn’t available is the day that democracy is over. And I don’t think the American people will let that happen.”



Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.