"We have lost the trust of the public"

The COVID-19 pandemic has strongly impacted the journalism industry, from the way journalists have traditionally worked to the economic challenges many news outlets continue to face. Sarah Bartlett, Dean of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY speaks to Thanos Dimadis about the challenges and opportunities for current and future journalists, as they navigate a new post-pandemic era of information-sharing.

How has the Journalism spectrum been affected by the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic?

The pandemic has had great impact: Many news outlets have suffered a collapse in revenue, forcing some to lay off staff and others to close their doors completely. It has also forced reporters to rely more heavily on email and zoom interviews, rather than conducting interviews on the street and in person. Of course, one can successfully interview sources remotely, and in some places that has been the norm. But it has increased the pressure on reporters to become more skilled in those approaches, and that has created a learning curve.

How has COVID-19 affected the educational spectrum in the work you do teaching the new generations of journalists at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism?

We have increased our emphasis on reporting and verifying information using online tools, and we also are offering training to help protect students from online attacks.

As Dean of the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, what were some of the significant changes you have seen in Journalism education throughout the years?

In response to industry need, we have expanded the range of courses we offer in data, video and audio storytelling. We have also seen a growing demand for journalists who can report and produce stories in both Spanish and English.

Fake news: what can we do to remedy the situation?

The industry needs to take a hard look at the reasons we have lost the trust of the public. We need to begin by strengthening our listening skills and resisting the impulse to do “helicopter” reporting. We also need to have a president who stops making exaggerated and false claims about reporters and stops labeling journalists as the enemy of the people.

Do you think fake news is the only threat to the journalism profession? What other threat, if any, the profession of journalism will face in the next 5-10 years?

The greatest threat, in my opinion, is the lack of revenue to support local news. The for-profit commercial model does not work for small, independent news organizations, and they are often the ones that communities rely upon the most.

How do you foresee the future of Journalism education will look like with the ever-growing presence of technology?

Technology is simply a tool to enhance the way we report and tell stories. It is not a substitute for the act of gathering facts, analyzing them, and using critical judgment to convey them to the public.

What is the advice you give to the new generations of those students who want to become journalists?

Identify areas that you are passionate about – whether it’s a particular subject area or media format – and develop expertise in that area. That is a starting point. But your journalism still needs to reek with relevance and credibility.

What do you see as reasons for someone to join a journalistic career today?

It’s never going to be dull. You will always be working in service to the public, and you will be able to write the first draft of history, which is a privilege.

What do you respond to those claiming that you don’t need to study journalism to become a journalist? How is your school facing that approach?

Journalism, done right, requires a range of deeply developed skills. If you are able to get a lot of practice by securing internships and entry-level jobs in newsrooms where there is intensive coaching, you may be able to bypass studying journalism in school. However, if you are not one of those lucky few, learning how to report and produce stories by working closely with professional journalists who are also great teachers is the fastest and most surefire way to gain entry to the profession.