Page One: An Aspiring Journalist's Response

After watching Page One: Inside the New York Times, the part inside of me that channels my journalistic aspirations took a punch. Since I started telling people my dreams to become a professional journalist, I can't count how many times the person on the listening end has given me that look; the look that says "Do you really know what you're getting into?". The look that says "You're doomed, kid."

I'm here to tell you that I sincerely believe the industry isn't dead. Page One conveys most of its shock through a startling set of quotes. By picking apart these quotes and looking for contradictions, I've discovered several instances of faulty knowledge that will suggest that the documentary overdramatizes the downfall of modern investigative journalism.

Here are two quotes that I find especially misinterpreted:

"Advertising market has turned upside down and the revenue has taken a hit." - Is this honestly as bad as it sounds? As the demand for advertising in print media rapidly declines, the demand for online advertising has risen dramatically. A change in mediums doesn't necessarily mean a change in the way advertising revenue is gained. Take a look at this screenshot I took of the Times' front page:

Notice the array of advertisements. In a single window, you can see ads for Marc Jacobs Eyewear, Times' Digital Subscriptions, Orange Savings Account, and Ameritrade. It's impossible to point to a decrease in advertisement revenue when the paper's front page is nearly half ad space. 

"And people will start asking, can we really trust The Times?" - I don't think anyone would even consider that question. Just yesterday, an Iran newspaper ran a news story from The Onion, believing it to be credible. Seriously? If someone, somewhere believes The Onion, then The Times has nothing to worry about. The Times is still the most reputable media outlet in the United States, and I find it hard to believe that anything will change that. 

"Experts" shouldn't be pushing aspiring journalists away from the industry. The rise in technology might make print newspaper less and less relevant, but that does not equate to the demise of journalism as a whole.

Maybe I am just defending my industry because I'm scared. Or maybe I am defending my industry because it's not dying.

Maybe it's only just begun.