A look at the current state of media and journalism
Silvio Waisbord is Director and Professor in the School of Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University. He is the author or editor of eighteen books, as well as articles on journalism, politics, communication studies, media policy, and global social change. His most recent books are The Communication Manifesto (Polity), and El Imperio de la Utopia (Peninsula). He is the former Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Communication and the International Journal of Press/Politics. He is a Fellow of the International Communication Association. Waisbord received a Licenciatura in Sociology from the Universidad de Buenos Aires and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego.
How would you describe the current state of media and journalism?
Impossible to generalize given so many variables that affect the state of media and journalism. The easy answer is "it depends" - amazing opportunities for creativity, quality work but troubling developments related to polarization, clickbait news, misinformation, and the like. For every great example, we can easily find worrisome trends.
One of the courses you teach at GWU's School of Media and Public Affairs is Media and Globalization. How has globalization redefined the role of journalism?
In so many ways - the way journalism gathers information, checks facts, distributes information, and bolsters global stories.
What do you see as the biggest threat to journalism nowadays?
Funding, race to the bottom, anti-press violence, low trust (especially among certain segments of the public), dependency on official and well-funded sources.
Can journalists combat the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation online in recent years, or do greater and more severe structural changes in how digital and social media work need to be made?
They can through good old-fashioned great journalism, plus fact-checking, opening the lens to what gets reported, access to ordinary citizens, etc. Yet that may be insufficient to curb/combat disinformation, which is a big problem.
Social media has changed traditional journalism modes over the last ten years. Are you of the opinion that social media's expansion has harmed journalism in terms of quality and financial sustainability?
Economically, yes, as it has diverted advertising away from news, and this is a critical problem.
In what ways do GWU's graduate and undergraduate programs prepare future journalists to meet tomorrow's journalism industry's needs?
Awareness of current trends, multimedia skills, critical thinking, opportunities to build professional networks, learn from people on the frontline of journalism and political communication.
From your vast experience in academia, what are three lessons that can be transformed into practical advice for journalists and that you can share with the community of foreign correspondents?
Identify your passion and become an expert, whatever that may be; figure out what skills you need to be where you would like to be; be focused yet flexible to identify opportunities.
