Beyond News: The Future of Journalism

Stephens, a professor of journalism at New York University, questions what should be next for modern journalism in the demanding digital age. He explores options for a news industry to revamp and retool, noting that journalists must "return to an older and higher view of their calling." With the Internet, the news business requires not only collecting facts and details of events, and opinionated views, but a need to practice "wisdom journalism" %E2%80%94 thoughtful judgment, insight, and informed argument %E2%80%94 which is sometimes lacking in current media. The book's astute observations, supported by historic writings of theories and principles, offer the reader various ways to approach the challenges and obstacles confronting the media's content, distribution, and quality then and now. Rather than stressing the dominance of technology, Stephens addresses the preparation, expertise, fairness, and reliability of journalists who present the information and arguments to the consumer. Stephens, not one to say he has all the answers, admits in his remarkable survey on media that "journalism can and must improve [but] will remain vulnerable to hastiness and the passions of the moment." For information buffs, this is a feast, intelligent and candidly forthright. (Apr.)