All industry must go through evolution. Education and politics seem to change on a daily basis, and even the long-standing career of academia itself is forced to evolve to keep up with technology and digital media. But what does it mean when careers and roles seem to die out? Do they die out, or do they evolve and what is the impact of this on society as a whole?
Professor Edd Applegate opens up discussion around this issue, considering how journalism and investigative journalism have undergone significant change.
So, in the author’s own words…
Disclaimer: The views and opinions below are the authors own and are not representative of the Peter Lang Group.
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According to the current Occupational Outlook Handbook, employment for reporters and other journalists is negative for the next 10 years. In fact, it is predicted that employment for these individuals will decline 3 percent. This means almost 2,000 jobs will be lost.
As if this is not grave enough, newspapers and magazines have been cutting editorial positions for the past several years. For instance, in 2021, according to the Pew Research Center, employment in media newsrooms in the United States fell 26 percent between 2008 and 2020. Unfortunately, during this period, investigative journalists were some of the first individuals in newsrooms to lose their jobs.
Fortunately, several media outlets have been founded for investigative journalists and writers who spend hours, days, weeks, or months investigating one or more stories. Unfortunately, fewer individuals read or view what these journalists uncover primarily because fewer individuals actually subscribe to or watch the media in which the stories appear.
Yet, this form of journalism is essential if individuals expect a democratic society to function properly. Without question, investigative journalists, especially those who report what they have uncovered without including their opinions, play an important role in a democratic society, particularly when they uncover unethical and/or illegal activity by businesses, state, or federal employees. Such reporting generally results in one or more individuals being charged with a crime and/or a new law addressing the issue being written and passed.
The book, Investigative Journalism in the United States: A History, with Profiles of Journalists and Writers Who Practiced the Form not only presents a history of the subject, but includes biographies of numerous journalists and writers who devoted their professional careers to uncovering wrongdoing by businesses, state, and/or federal employees, as well as others.
The book should be added to every college and university library’s reference section. Students who are emphasizing some area of journalism or mass communications more than likely will find it a valuable resource.
Professor Edd Applegate
