Reflections on Josh Marshall's Talk

Josh Marshall's talk was an important one for young journalists in an era when the news media have begun to redefine themselves and refocus. In talking about how he formed his own approach to a rapidly growing new medium of journalism, he helped set an example that others should follow

Marshall effectively showed how he was willing to keep his site's news and opinion separate, and to make sure that the opinion never interfered with the reporting. This stands in a pleasant contrast to sites like Daily Kos, which allow their bias to influence their reporting, unchecked by any editor or other supervisor.

Marshall showed that he could make appropriate ethical decisions with regards to advertising, not turning away advertisers without good reason. He also did not let his reporting be influenced by their funding his site, and was willing to sacrifice larger contracts if it were necessary to continue reporting on something they opposed. While newspapers and other media derive a large portion of their revenue from advertising, and may censor some reporting in order to keep it, they should not only consider the ethical dimensions of doing so, but realize that if they deny access to important stories, their readers may abandon them.

Marshall's response to my question gave a good solution to a quandary I had- whether I should remain in the corporate media and try to do the best reporting I could or try to somehow break into the independent media. With his advice, I am now certain that pursuing a career at a local newspaper after graduation and staying there for a few years will be my best first move, and that I can see how I should enter the independent media later. While I often wonder whether I should try to change the corporate media from the inside, the knowledge that I have a route to enter the independent media is comforting.

The advent and growth of Internet journalism may not replace traditional media, just as the television and radio news did not replace newspapers and news magazines. However, it most likely will force them to reconsider their roles and practices in a time when the Internet has the potential to offer news immediately and allow nearly anyone with access to it to report on the news. By maintaining traditional news values and using new technologies to the fullest, Marshall sets an example that should be followed by everyone- from the media giants like CNN and the New York Times to the literally pajama-clad bloggers- who consider themselves and report as journalists should follow.