The Rise of Independent Journalism

With the decline of traditional news media and the rapid rise of independent online reporting, journalism—as an industry and an institution—faces a huge crisis of confidence.

(5 Different Forms of Journalism.)

Technological advances and digitalization have drastically changed the way news content is created, disseminated, and consumed. Anyone with internet access can now reach a worldwide audience in seconds and receive immediate feedback. As a result, we’re seeing a proliferation of online independent and citizen journalists, and many consistently outperform their legacy media counterparts in terms of audience and impact. The traditional press is facing huge layoffs and financial difficulties triggered by the internet, in addition to credibility issues and growing mistrust. Sadly, local outlets, especially newspapers, have suffered the greatest financial losses.

The mainstream press is accused of being out of touch with ordinary Americans. As the so-called ‘Fourth Estate,’ journalists are supposed to be the ‘Watchdogs of Democracy,’ hired on the public’s behalf to keep those in power accountable, regardless of political affiliation. Activist journalism seems to prevail, rather than reporters who scrutinize, question, prod, ask hard questions, and demand proper answers. The job requires tough, bold, yapping terriers, not soft, obedient lapdogs.

Citizen and independent journalists are gaining more momentum, some with little to no formal training. They’re out in the field getting the stories firsthand, like journalists are meant to do, talking to real people in places the legacy news tends to ignore.

Is It the End for Traditional News Media?

Does this mark the end of traditional media? Will independent online news sources gradually take over journalism? Not necessarily, I believe it’s salvageable.

It’s interesting to note here that audiences for terrestrial radio, including news/talk shows, have remained relatively constant, according to the Pew Research Center. Podcasts have been gaining popularity, but this hasn’t seemed to drastically impact radio shows.

The news industry has endured a colorful and turbulent history and it’s been in a constant state of flux since the first colonial newspaper was published in 1690. Distrust in the media is nothing new, the public have been questioning the motives and biases of journalists since the late 1700s. Maybe the biggest difference is that now it’s more apparent, and before the internet, the traditional media of television, radio, and print publications, were the only news sources available. It was also harder for most people to air their grievances and offer opinions, other than a letter to the editor or maybe through circulating a pamphlet.

Journalism has always been among the least liked professions, along with lawyers, used car salesmen, and politicians. But in the last 50 years or so, trust in traditional (or corporate) media has plummeted. Recent survey results and poll numbers are particularly scathing of the industry.

According to a 2023 Gallup poll only 32% of Americans say they trust the mass media “a great deal” or “a fair amount” to report the news in a full, fair, and accurate way, while 39% of Americans have no confidence at all in the media’s news reporting. Back in the 1970s trust and confidence in the media was up to 72%. That’s a huge difference in just a few decades.

A 2022 Pew Research Center survey shows journalists and the American public “stand far apart” on how well they think news outlets do in many of “their core functions,” with just 29% of Americans agreeing that journalists serve “as a watchdog over elected leaders,” and only 35% saying news organizations accurately report the news.

According to findings released by The Edelman Trust Barometer Report, news sources have failed to fix their trust problems. Public trust in search engines is at 59%, traditional media at 57%, and social media comes in last at only 37%.

A dire assessment of traditional news media indeed.

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So, What Is Independent Journalism?

Independent journalism essentially means news media that is free from corporate and government influence. This includes television, print, radio, and online journalism, whether nonprofit or profit driven, and encompasses journalists who either work for an organization or run their own outlet, publication, website, podcast, or blog. Among the most popular platforms are YouTube, TikTok, Medium, Rumble, and subscription sites such as Substack. You’ll also find independently produced news and current affairs shows on some public and community television channels, and on local public and community radio stations.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why independent outlets are succeeding and the implications for journalism as an industry, craft, and profession.

Many independent journalists are trained professionals who left the industry and branched out on their own. Some were fully equipped with a ready-made brand and used this recognition to grow an online following. Other independents had to fend for themselves, building their reputation from the ground up. However, this job requires no formal credentials, anyone can go online and call themselves a journalist with no training, professional skills, or knowledge. They just need to be good storytellers and entrepreneurial.

While it may seem like a new concept, independent journalism outlets existed long before the internet, and there have always been alternative news publications. One of the longest running is the audience supported news program, Democracy Now, hosted by award-winning journalists Amy Goodman and Juan González, initially launched on local radio stations in 1996. The Intercept is another online nonprofit news organization and has been around since 2014. The Daily Wire is a conservative news website and media company, founded in 2015. Then we have personality ‘journalism’ stars, online commentators like Joe Rogan, Russell Brand, and Steven Crowder, whose work is sensationalist, provocative, controversial, and very popular.

Of course, independent journalism also suffers from credibility and trust issues. Some outlets are openly biased and pander to their echo chambers. While many citizen journalists and independents are doing a great job, a lot of content out there is awful and would never pass the standards demanded of traditional journalism. Although, we can’t forget that there’s always been tabloid news, so maybe things haven’t really changed that much. It’s just now bigger, and much, much louder.

Technology has allowed practically anyone to easily create content on their phones and publish it immediately with no editing or scrutiny. It’s wonderful if the journalistic content is intelligent, impartial, and thoughtfully created, terrible if it’s just monetized click bait. Even worse if the content was created by AI, which compounds the problems of accuracy.

In the past, newspapers also relied on sensationalism to support the operation costs, while mixing in serious reporting, and there’s no denying that good journalism takes time and money. It’s always been a business, outside of publicly funded outlets. Editors relied on sensational headlines (the old clickbait) to sell papers, and back then, slogans were printed on poster boards and paraded on the streets instead of on Facebook. The competition among outlets and publications was fierce, so there’s always been a battle for our eyeballs. It’s just the delivery system that’s changed.

The biggest differences have been brought on by technology. Traditional media lacks the interactivity enjoyed and utilized by online outlets. Prior to the internet people’s primary involvement in the news was buying the paper, or in the case of paperboys or hawkers, selling them. Unless of course, you were the subject of an article.

What Are the Ethics and Standards of Independent Journalism?

Although it’s refreshing to see the gatekeepers lose their grip on who qualifies to report the news, it also begs the question of whether ethics and standards apply everywhere? Traditional outlets are regulated by media law and press ethics and were for a short time, highly regarded as the bastions of reliable news. Their job is to share information in an objective and unbiased manner, while employing qualified, vetted journalists, trained in these protocols. The goal is to keep the public informed and hold the powerful accountable. 

We now have the journalism equivalent of the Wild West online. Anything goes. It’s a great time to go it alone as an independent or citizen journalist, if your audience sees your work that is. Oftentimes algorithms can be somewhat selective.

Despite its apparent decline, news generated by the legacy media continues to somehow dominate the online narrative, and ironically, is the main topic of many independent journalists. Traditional media is on life support but will survive. It may even make a big comeback when the industry tackles some of its glaring but easily fixable issues. They could cut out the bias and get to know their audience better, in every part of the country and not just the coastal cities. Some major newspapers are already doing this and succeeding in mending these relationships. But it’s obviously not enough.

When journalists simply report the facts without commentary and snark, whether overt or subtle, maybe people will start listening, reading, and watching again. All media should respect their audience, who are smarter and savvier than ever before. They can also fact check your work in minutes.

Local newspaper closures are a huge loss, mainly because it was such a valuable service for communities and kept local politicians in check, but it was also an incredible training ground for rookie reporters.

Research conducted by The Center for Innovation and Sustainability in Local Media at the University of North Carolina School of Media and Journalism, shows nearly a quarter of the country’s local newspapers have disappeared since 2004. This has created ‘news deserts’ all over the country, especially in rural areas.

But thankfully, hundreds of nonprofit news outlets are sprouting up online, which is very good news. Student reporters are also stepping in to fill the gap in state government coverage, which is again, very promising. The public needs to know what’s going on in their own back yard just as much as, if not more than, national issues, so this is an essential service that has been lost due to newspaper closures.

I think it’s safe to say then, that it’s the best of times and worst of times for journalism.

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Resources:

https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/fact-sheet/audio-and-podcasting/https://www.edelman.com/trust/2022-trust-barometerhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_American_newspapers#:~:text=Prior%20to%20the%201830s%2C%20a,was%20not%20unbiased%20in%20opinion.https://www.pbs.org/wnet/preserving-democracy/2023/04/06/student-reporters-fill-crucial-gap-in-state-government-coverage/https://www.cislm.orghttps://news.gallup.com/poll/512861/media-confidence-matches-2016-record-low.aspxhttps://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2022/06/14/journalists-sense-turmoil-in-their-industry-amid-continued-passion-for-their-work/