If you’re a journalist, the apocalypse is now.
More than half of American adults are “worn out” by the amount of news being thrown at them. Social traffic is down by as much as 70% for news publishers. And The Washington Post decided earlier this year that covering sports doesn’t matter anymore.
Political polarization, artificial intelligence and global malaise are decimating the journalism industry. The lines between reporters and influencers have gone from blurry to virtually nonexistent. And like former Trump advisor Kellyanne Conway once envisioned, people are responding to information they don’t like or trust with “alternative facts.”
All of this makes it a hell of a time to be studying at a school of journalism.
I have been part of the graduate program at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism since last June. In those 10 months, I’ve watched newspapers close, journalists get laid off and freelance budgets evaporate.
Students are spending entire semesters on 5,000-word pieces that have virtually no chance of getting published. And as a community, we’re still searching for answers on how to stand out in a world increasingly flooded by SlopGPT.
But despite all of this, I’m filled with hope for the future of journalism as my time at USC draws to a close.
While working for Annenberg Media, I’ve watched reporters and editors develop deep investigative skills. My peers have broken news on USC’s sale of cadavers to the military, the decline in the quality of maternity care at Keck Medicine and USC professors’ ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Our reporting on maggots and mold found in USC dining halls has led to follow-up coverage in outlets like the Los Angeles Times.
I’ve also been enthused to work alongside the talented broadcasters in our newsroom. Annenberg Radio News reporters have won awards for their coverage of undocumented immigrants in Southern California, and Annenberg Television News was honored by the Society of Professional Journalists for its election night coverage.
But more than anything, I’ve been inspired by the dedication, innovation and collaborative spirit of the young journalists in the Annenberg community.
One student built a daily email newsletter from scratch. By consistently breaking news and reliably highlighting the issues that matter to the community, this enterprising journalist has managed to amass over 10,000 subscribers. And a television executive producer that I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with goes above and beyond to give opportunities to the underclassmen who are following in her footsteps.
Rather than guarding the secrets of their success, these fledgling newsmakers are extending their hands to help others climb the professional ladder.
The news is broken. Trust in the media is cratering at a time when our society needs reliable reporting more than ever. But while I still don’t know what will fix that, I now have a very good idea of who will be doing the fixing.