“Because of them… we are a better country,” Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd said as he welcomed the two award precipitants to the stage at the Edward R. Murrow Symposium last night.
The air was thick as the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication hosted the 35th Annual Murrow Symposium. The fall of the economy has affected newsrooms across the nation and has put many journalism professionals at the crossroads.
“The Murrow Symposium acknowledges exceptional achievement in communication, celebrates scholarship, and connects students to industry professionals,” according to the Washington State University website.
The symposium awarded the Edward R., Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award to Helen Thomas and Bob Schieffer for journalism and broadcast journalism, respectively.
“The First Lady of the Press” Helen Thomas is famous for not being afraid and asking tough questions. “You have one question in the cannon,” Thomas warned. “Don’t blow it.”
Thomas addressed issues currently facing journalism today. “Everyone with a laptop thinks they’re a journalist,” Thomas said. Thomas posed questions regarding the ethical values and standards that set professional journalists apart from online news.
“Few people know how difficult it is to uncover the truth and tell it like it is,” Thomas said. According to Thomas, and echoed by Schieffer, nothing can replace the need for a credible, trustworthy reporter for that reason among many.
Audience member Nancy J. Owen attends the Murrow Symposium with her daughter every year and hopes that “the Internet works to incorporate” traditional journalism.
“Journalism is in crisis,” Bob Schieffer said. Schieffer explained the differences between a newspaper and the Internet. “When we go on the web, we are searching for one particular piece of information,” Schieffer said. But in a newspaper, “we go searching… and we may find two or three that we weren’t looking for… that enlarges us in our experience and understanding of the world around us,” according to Schieffer, an art that may soon be lost.
Michael Walsh, a Washington State University journalism major, acknowledges the looming crisis but admits he doesn’t personally purchase newspapers.
“I think for anything to get better, we must all put our money where our mouth is,” junior Christine Stewart said. “Schieffer’s right. Strong journalism is important to maintaining our nation’s integrity.”
1. As you see journalism changing, what do you think the benefits will be?
2. Do you think there is any measure we could take, like accreditation, to protect online validity?
3. How can individuals help rescue journalism?
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