For Samford Crimson journalists

Two things in one exciting post this morning. First Erin Rosa, who’s been a working journalist for about five years now, wrote a fine essay about the future of the business:

Journalism is becoming a more egalitarian profession—and that’s a good thing. Although many media outlets will remain the property of a small bloc of parent corporations, more and more members of the public who may not be traditionally considered journalists are becoming involved with news coverage. A dramatic power shift has obviously occurred in the way the public produces and consumes news when an unemployed nineteen-year-old using free blogging software can report on the results of a controversial city council vote restructuring Denver’s election bureau and scoop a weathered professional before he even makes it back to the newsroom.

She goes on to talk about some of her experiences in the rapidly changing working wrld, and emerges optimistic about what she sees. You should be too; these are exciting times to be a journalist, particularly the kind willing to work hard and in an innovative fashion.

Later, at that same link, you’ll find an invitation:

Now we are issuing a similar invitation to the young people who’ve come into the profession in the last five years or so, and the young journalism students who soon will. We invite them to air their concerns and hopes about journalism, too. The central questions: What do you see in this business that makes you still want to pursue it? How do you imagine people will get quality news five years down the road? How will you try to fit in?

They’re publishing your thoughts on their site — not a bad place for your talents to get noticed — so compose your thoughts and then share them there with the rest of us. And here too. How can I help you achieve those things? Comments always welcome.

Just moments after writing the post below I ran across this, courtesy of Jay Rosen. The Knight Fellowship Program at Stanford is changing with the times:

Beginning with the 2009-10 fellowship year, the program will put a new emphasis on journalistic innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership.

The program is transforming itself in order to serve the needs of journalism and journalists as much in the years ahead as it has in the past. The dizzying landscape of layoffs and consolidation, Internet media sites, citizen journalism and bloggers make journalism a chaotic and exciting proposition today. We are making bold changes to meet these new realities.

Journalism, as a practice, is changing swiftly. Arm yourself well with the tools and techniques while you’re on campus.

The New York Times notices there are new models for creating reporting, that there is a demand for that reporting, and that there are journalists who will do it.

Maybe not a “where were you when?” moment, but this is pretty important as recognition goes. The whole article is worth a quick read.