rethinking the news

Jeff Jarvis reports that the National Union of Journalists in the UK is planning a Europe-wide day of protest against cuts in journalism.

He wonders whom they’ll picket: the Internet? the economy? their readers? reality? He says;

But what are they going to do about it? Perhaps instead they should have a national brainstorming day to find and invent new ways to serve the public in all media. Or perhaps a national training day to show all these keyboard addicts how to use and make audio, video, blogs, wikis, search, social networks, and more. Or I’d like to see a national networked journalism day in which the pros share the tricks of their trade with the public to encourage more and better acts of journalism. Or maybe even a national efficiency day, in which the journalists find cuts that can be made instead of reporting. Or maybe a national entrepreneurial day to find ways to create new sustainable journalistic businesses that will not only pay those journalists but give them a piece of the equity.

Media are changing and so are their business realities. Not much — not anything — one can do about that but find new opportunities and change alongside.

Change is always difficult. It brings to mind a quote attributed to an American Army General who said:

" If you don't like change - you are going like irrelevance even less".

 I love some of Jeff's suggestions. Lets embrace the change and lead the way.