Journalism field adapts to changes in technology and trust
- lblomquist
- Apr 9, 2018
- 3 min read
By Lilly Blomquist
Speaking to a class of student reporters at Elon University, award-winning journalist Joie Chen said the journalism field has shifted to accommodate the emergence of technology and elevated distrust in the news media.
As a member of the School of Communications Advisory Board, Chen on Friday, April 6 in McEwen Communications Building shared her experience working for CBS News, CNN and Al Jazeera America and how she has witnessed reporters’ roles and expectations change throughout her career.

Chen said while she was a journalism student, she used a typewriter to produce stories and relied on her phone to call people whenever she had unanswered questions.
“We didn’t have the kind of technology that you guys take for granted,” Chen said.
She explained that now, with the internet, reporters have more access to information, enabling them to quickly and more easily find the details they need to complete their stories.

Associate Professor of Communications Anthony Hatcher said when he worked as a newspaper reporter, he had to sift through piles of paper documents, which he said was tedious and time-consuming. Hatcher still writes content for news publications, and he said the internet has helped accelerate the process of searching for documents.
Christina Elias, a junior studying journalism, said she recognizes the advantages of using technology while reporting to strengthen her stories.
“It allows us to disseminate news faster, find story ideas more easily and help us contact different people, so in some ways, it’s made our job easier,” Elias said.
The internet and the ample amount of information it provides does have consequences for journalists.
Hatcher said people demand and expect a steady stream of content in this technological age, so reporters must constantly publish stories online and post updates on social media. He said this expectation of reporters is different than when he worked as a newspaper reporter with a daily deadline.
Hatcher said journalism’s emphasis on immediacy rushes reporters’ work and causes them to make errors and produce incomplete stories.
“Reporters and writers need time to investigate and think,” he said.
Elias said the speed of journalism and the desire to attract readers lead to competition among reporters and news organizations. As a result, journalism becomes a race to publish a story first rather than writing an accurate and thorough one, Elias said.
She said in this fast-paced atmosphere, mistakes are inevitable, which damages journalism’s reputation, leading to public distrust in the news.
“When they make mistakes, that follows them forever and has more backlash,” Elias said.
Chen said people are also cynical of journalists and accuse them of bias and errors because of today’s political environment.
“There is great distrust, challenging and questioning of what we do and what motivations people have in journalism today,” Chen said.
President Donald Trump accuses reporters of writing fake news and called the news media an “enemy of the American people.” Additionally, 34 percent of people who distrust the news are concerned about political bias in news organizations, according to a news report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism.
Chen worked as a correspondent at the White House, Capitol Hill and the Pentagon, and she said this experience made her realize that people more frequently challenge the media today than in years’ past.
“There has certainly never been an environment like we have right now,” Chen said.
Hatcher said more people distrust news now because of a lack of media literacy. He said ordinary people without an education in journalism spread inaccurate information on the internet. Since some readers are unaware these writers are not real reporters, he said this flood of misinformation detracts from journalists’ impact.

“Anyone with money can buy tech toys and throw content on the web,” Hatcher said. “It takes a journalist to report accurately, ethically and completely.”
Hatcher said he teaches his student journalists to anticipate criticism and to continue doing their job, striving for accuracy and acknowledging their mistakes.
Chen said reporters must handle others’ accusations by reporting the facts because when they produce work that reflects the purpose of journalism as a public good, she said others’ opinions do not matter.
“At the end of the day, all you have is you and your conviction that you worked as hard as you could to get the facts as right as you could, and even if she doesn’t believe a word you said, you have to be sure that you’ve done what satisfies your own compass.”
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