Competition of the best arguments
Column Journalism is competing to provide information - a sporting challenge, says Josefa Haas.
Column
Journalism is competing to provide information - a sporting challenge, says Josefa Haas.
The mood of the journalistic industry is reminiscent of the hormonal fluctuations of adolescents: At one moment it confidently reminds us of its function as the fourth estate, at another it tries to sell cheaply swept-up content. The free culture on the Internet and in commuter newspapers shows once again that money can be made even with modest editorial investments. Journalists need to ask themselves why their services have a price, what the purpose of their existence is and what their professional standards are. Despite all the doom and gloom, there are positive answers to this, and not just from within their own guild. In business and politics, almost everything revolves around questions of knowledge management, communication and decision-making skills. The ability to generate information, place it in context and draw conclusions from it is therefore more in demand than ever. The media, and therefore journalism, are among the most important authorities for this task. For systems theorist Maria Pruckner, journalism and management are the most important professions of the 21st century. In the information society, information workers ensure the highest productivity - relevant knowledge at the right time is the most valuable commodity today.
This would boost self-confidence. However, those who use their press card alone to lay claim to providing information to the public must be prepared for pitying reactions. Journalists, who like to dish it out unsparingly, often only react insultingly to criticism of their own work. In today's knowledge society, however, the fourth estate has also lost its authority. Although the media play a key role in communicating content, they are in competition with the offerings of business, politics, culture and the contributions of many individuals. And this competition is not a war, but a sport - competing for the best content and arguments. It is not about winning with a supposed truth, but about maintaining an exciting debate. Journalistic media will thus continue to set topics and become the subject of discussion.
Socrates compared his technique of dialog with the art of midwifery. A natural process achieves a better quality through professional support. In this sense, journalism provides proof of a valuable service. Professional qualifications include special skills and knowledge. A professional invests time in the development of his skills and in the production of his products. In addition, he always subjects his performance to a critical eye, carefully observes the best in his field and constantly works to improve.
The media industry itself can demonstrate its expertise with a new awareness. Of course, it must not just fall back on tried and tested recipes. The focus must be on the joy of discussion, the fun of recognizing connections, the awareness that it is not the only, but a prominent contribution to the interpretation of the flow of events. The more exciting and relevant their services are, the more indispensable and valuable they become, not only for users but also for media companies.
Josefa Haas is Head of the Media Institute
Journalism is competing to provide information - a sporting challenge, says Josefa Haas.
The mood of the journalistic industry is reminiscent of the hormonal fluctuations of adolescents: At one moment it confidently reminds us of its function as the fourth estate, at another it tries to sell cheaply swept-up content. The free culture on the Internet and in commuter newspapers shows once again that money can be made even with modest editorial investments. Journalists need to ask themselves why their services have a price, what the purpose of their existence is and what their professional standards are. Despite all the doom and gloom, there are positive answers to this, and not just from within their own guild. In business and politics, almost everything revolves around questions of knowledge management, communication and decision-making skills. The ability to generate information, place it in context and draw conclusions from it is therefore more in demand than ever. The media, and therefore journalism, are among the most important authorities for this task. For systems theorist Maria Pruckner, journalism and management are the most important professions of the 21st century. In the information society, information workers ensure the highest productivity - relevant knowledge at the right time is the most valuable commodity today.
This would boost self-confidence. However, those who use their press card alone to lay claim to providing information to the public must be prepared for pitying reactions. Journalists, who like to dish it out unsparingly, often only react insultingly to criticism of their own work. In today's knowledge society, however, the fourth estate has also lost its authority. Although the media play a key role in communicating content, they are in competition with the offerings of business, politics, culture and the contributions of many individuals. And this competition is not a war, but a sport - competing for the best content and arguments. It is not about winning with a supposed truth, but about maintaining an exciting debate. Journalistic media will thus continue to set topics and become the subject of discussion.
Socrates compared his technique of dialog with the art of midwifery. A natural process achieves a better quality through professional support. In this sense, journalism provides proof of a valuable service. Professional qualifications include special skills and knowledge. A professional invests time in the development of his skills and in the production of his products. In addition, he always subjects his performance to a critical eye, carefully observes the best in his field and constantly works to improve.
The media industry itself can demonstrate its expertise with a new awareness. Of course, it must not just fall back on tried and tested recipes. The focus must be on the joy of discussion, the fun of recognizing connections, the awareness that it is not the only, but a prominent contribution to the interpretation of the flow of events. The more exciting and relevant their services are, the more indispensable and valuable they become, not only for users but also for media companies.
Josefa Haas is Head of the Media Institute
