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Time was when you could pick up a newspaper and read an in-depth article that had been well researched and was well written. The aim of the report was to inform the reader. The journalist had obviously spoken extensively to a number of sources and followed up with some investigation into his subject matter. The sub editors gave a lot of thought and time to a relevant headline and eye-catching layout. There had clearly been some sort of discussion between writer and photographer to ensure the photo accompanying the news item helped to illustrate it. The final product was well-written, readable and had you thinking.

With few exceptions, that is changing for the worse. That is no more noticeable than in the case of local newspapers. Newspapers have become little more than businesses these days. The advertising department is more important and the shareholder's hunger for increasing dividends must be satisfied. As a result, what was once a craft - writing newspaper articles - has become little more than a conveyor belt chore. Where once there was pride, time now rules. In the 'good old days' a reporter might write one excellent article a day because it took him hours to do the job properly. Nowadays, reporters are having to produce more like ten articles a day - and more. Newspapers have been dumbed down.
Here are some of the reasons why newspaper standards have dropped significantly in just the last decade. Reporters are now expected to multi task. They write the articles; take the photos; sub edit the pages; write a duplicate story for the newspaper's website; and, more recently, a film video news report as well. There is so much more to the job of a newspaper reporter nowadays. Add to that the fact that newspaper staffs have dwindled alarmingly - remember people are the most expensive item in the office, so when you need to increase the bottom line you look for redundancies or do not replace staff who leave. The time pressure is enormous. There have always been deadlines, but now each reporter has a far greater workload to get in before you hear the editor shout, 'Paper's going in ten...'
Not that long ago, reporters were encouraged - almost pushed out of the office - to go and meet people face to face. If someone asks a reporter today to come and see them, the answer is, 'Can't we do it over the phone?' Not only does it save time, it also saves money. A press release is e-mailed in - the reporter more or less regurgitates it word for word without checking the PR person's spelling or grammar. Facts are rarely checked, an effort to find the other side of the story is not as forceful as before - if the person you need to speak to isn't there when you phone, then there is no effort to track him down. Mistakes are a source of laughter in the office whereas they were once a reason for anger and disappointment, an embarrassment that standards were not as they should have been. There has been a slip in standards anyway. Younger reporters simply do not have the grasp of grammar there used to be in the profession. The spell check is rarely used - and if it shows a spelling mistake, then the computer must be wrong.
Newspaper journalism certainly used to be a craft and a profession. Now it is little more than a job - and one with declining standards. That is unfortunate for the people in the business - where once there was a career that provided satisfaction, there is now just another job.

Learn more about this author, Phil Hill.
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