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I believe that journalists are the eyes and the cognitive brain of society. The demand for the 'conventional journalist' has been steadily decreasing through the recent years, largely owing to the outbreak of a phenomenon known as 'citizen journalism', showcased daily on blogs and 'Web 2.0' sites all across the internet. How apt for the internet to be christened the 'information super-highway', because with this massive and rapid flow of readily available information, many conventional journalists find themselves overtaken and made unsubstantial. In order for conventional journalists to survive, they have to carve for themselves a niche that they are well equipped with in-depth knowledge of. With the proliferation of knowledge and information, the only way left to go is 'deeper'. Specialization is indeed the new buzzword.

There certainly are ways in which conventional journalists can distinguish themselves, other than making sure that they know their stuff. Language can be made one such distinction. Conventional journalists are expected to be extremely proficient in the language they write in. Their manipulation of language will determine if they are able to connect with readers and win approval, or disinterest their audience, even to the extent of provoking scorn. There are many considerations regarding language: the tone has to suit the subject matter, the diction employed has to sustain interest and at the same time not alienate readers, the style of writing must not come across as being overly contrived, etc. It really can be likened to walking a thin line while juggling knives.

Survival as a conventional journalist will only get tougher as competition from 'citizen journalists' increase. But I strongly believe that in this kind of environment, truly great writers will be produced.

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