becoming indispensable? 5 th international symposium on online journalism on online journalism...

Becoming Becoming Indispensable?Indispensable?

55thth International Symposium International Symposium on Online Journalismon Online JournalismUniversity of TexasUniversity of Texas, Austin, Austin

Steve Klein, Coordinator of the Electronic Journalism ProgramSteve Klein, Coordinator of the Electronic Journalism ProgramGeorge Mason UniversityGeorge Mason University

With Nam Thai, Instructional Research Center With Nam Thai, Instructional Research Center April 16-17, 2004April 16-17, 2004

Becoming Indispensable?Becoming Indispensable?

in•dis•pen•sa•blein•dis•pen•sa•ble

Pronunciation: Pronunciation: (in"di-spen's(in"di-spen'suu-b-buul), l), adj.adj. 1. 1. absolutely necessary, essential, or absolutely necessary, essential, or requisite: requisite:

an indispensable medium?an indispensable medium? 2. 2. incapable of being disregarded or incapable of being disregarded or neglected: neglected: an indispensable … an indispensable … source of news?source of news?


When I walk around the When I walk around the George Mason George Mason University campus in University campus in Fairfax, Va., Fairfax, Va., everybodyeverybody has one of has one of these.these.

In fact, instructors have In fact, instructors have to state in our syllabi to state in our syllabi that cell phones must that cell phones must be turned off during be turned off during class!class!


Another Another indispensable indispensable form of media form of media almost every almost every student brings to student brings to campus is a campus is a portable music portable music player.player.


So … Has online news become indispensable?Despite my 1995 dreams, not quite yet.Not until it becomes truly ubiquitous.Not until it becomes so easy to access

and use that it becomes transparent … a little like this scene from “Minority Report.”


So, when was the last So, when was the last time that a medium time that a medium became clearly became clearly indispensable?indispensable?


So, what news So, what news websites are websites are students students accessing?accessing?


Fred Durst or John Fred Durst or John Ashcroft?Ashcroft?

Paris Hilton or Hamad Paris Hilton or Hamad Karzai?Karzai?

Hillary Clinton or …Hillary Clinton or …


My more My more sophisticated sophisticated students get students get some of their some of their news from news from Dennis MillerDennis Miller on CNBC.on CNBC.


Most of them Most of them know what know what Jon Jon StewartStewart laughed about laughed about last night on last night on “The Daily “The Daily Show” on Show” on Comedy Central.Comedy Central.


Young people are the hardest to Young people are the hardest to reach segment of the political reach segment of the political news audience (according to the news audience (according to the Pew Research Center for the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press).People & the Press).


Today, 21 percent of young Today, 21 percent of young Americans under age 30 regularly Americans under age 30 regularly learn about the presidential learn about the presidential campaign and the candidates from campaign and the candidates from comedy shows like “The Daily Show” comedy shows like “The Daily Show” or “Saturday Night Live” and or “Saturday Night Live” and comedians like David Letterman and comedians like David Letterman and Jay Leno – Jay Leno – twice as manytwice as many as could as could say this four years ago.say this four years ago.

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/ThisWeek/http://abcnews.go.com/sections/ThisWeek/Politics/thelist040411.htmlPolitics/thelist040411.html


One out of every two young people One out of every two young people say they sometimes learn about say they sometimes learn about the campaign from comedy shows the campaign from comedy shows – twice the rate among Americans – twice the rate among Americans age 30-49 (27 percent) and four age 30-49 (27 percent) and four times the rate among people age times the rate among people age 50 and older (12 percent).50 and older (12 percent).


For these young people, the content For these young people, the content of the jokes, sketches and guest of the jokes, sketches and guest appearances on these programs is appearances on these programs is not a repeat of old information.not a repeat of old information.

Nearly half say that what they learn Nearly half say that what they learn is something new – something they is something new – something they had not known previously.had not known previously.

Thanks for your (continued?) Thanks for your (continued?) attention.attention.

becoming indispensable? 5 th international symposium on online journalism on online journalism...

Documents