Journalism at your Service?

Nicholas Jones

The transition from traditional journalism to more interactive methods may be affecting the quantity, quality and relevance of the information transmitted to the public. Nicholas Jones, BBC Political Correspondent claimed that in the United Kingdom sensationalist tangents deflect journalists from the key issues at the root of important stories. Jones admitted in a discussion at Hotel Brufani yesterday that even he was “swept up during the economic boom” and failed to recognise the impending crisis. He denounced British tabloid, The Sun for trivial press coverage on the luxuries enjoyed by retired Royal Bank of Scotland Chief Executive, Fred Goodwin and a lack of information surrounding the early stages of Goodwin’s failings.

Jones, waving a cut-out from The Sun that read, ‘Scumbag Millionaire,’ accused the press of pandering to the common denominator and failing to engage with the real issues at hand. He illustrated the need for change stating, “newspapers must reinvent themselves online,” and highlighted the international power of The Daily Star and The Sun, who get more hits than any other British newspapers on the internet because of their willingness to progress with online trends.

David Sassoli, Deputy Director of Rai Uno News expressed concern surrounding aging television audiences. He commented “A person who doesn’t watch television, regardless of the quality of the programme, knows less than someone who does watch it.” Antonio Calafati, professor of Public Policy at the University of Ancona similarly communicated doubts over the future of good quality media given that many of his students don’t read newspapers. He advised the young audience to concentrate while reading news and to avoid getting distracted from the key information at hand. Jones responded to Sassoli and Calafati pointing out that next door young journalists were avidly searching online for information, “there are young people out there who have never opened a newspaper and know just as much as us journalists of yesterday” he commented. However, Sergio Rizzo, Business Editor of Il Corriere Della Sera suggested apathetically that the future of Italian Journalism is bleak given the instability of the political and economic climate. He stated “Italians are mediocre in everything they do, and this includes the media.” Jones responded that there is a need for more young Italian journalists and a renewal of the entire media infrastructure. He claimed that in the United Kingdom, “you walk into a news room and all the journalists and editors are in their twenties, thirties and early forties.” An enthusiastic applause followed his conclusion that, “If the Italian media does not change, it will die.”

Crystal Chesters