Rutgers professor explains how rise of digital media impacts journalism in new book

Over the last fifty years, the rise in digital technology has disrupted traditional journalism both in the U.S. and globally, said John Pavlik, a professor in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies. He discussed this finding and others that he included in his new book, “Disruption and Digital Journalism: Assessing News Media Innovation in a Time of Dramatic Change.”

Today, a large part of the world’s population has access to new forms of journalism such as technologically immersive storytelling through augmented or virtual reality, which he said provide better context to stories and build readers’ empathy. 

Additionally, this digital format gives a greater platform to citizen journalism and reporting, bringing attention to issues of social and racial justice, Pavlik said. In May 2020, a citizen with a smartphone recorded the video of George Floyd’s death, helping galvanize the Black Lives Matter movement, he said. 

In the traditional media sphere, news organizations have been compelled to follow these trends in public engagement and move from producing printed news to publishing content digitally, he said.

“Most news media have struggled to adapt to this changing communication landscape,” Pavlik said. “Yet, some innovative news organizations and journalists have succeeded in creating journalistic excellence in the digital arena and have found economic pathways that are increasingly viable and sustainable.”

He said The New York Times is one example of a news organization that has embraced the digital shift, and as a result, has seen its paid digital subscriptions rise from one million in 2015 to seven million in 2021.

Other news organizations, particularly local news groups, have not seen the same success in the face of digital disruption, Pavlik said. Many communities have witnessed their local print newspapers end or reduce their circulation after suffering a loss in revenue as advertisers invest more in digital platforms such as Google and Facebook.

This decreased revenue keeps many of these local news groups from making the switch to digital media, creating a cycle of loss, Pavlik said. More than a thousand U.S. communities have become “news deserts,” or areas with no local professional news source. 

This does not necessarily mean that members of these communities are uninformed about local news, he said. Citizen journalism, mobile media and blogging have attempted to bridge the gap left by traditional local news and inform the public about what is happening in their community.

Nonetheless, he said these forms of news media cannot completely take the place of professional journalists in these areas. 

“Without professional journalists working in those communities, the most important journalism, especially investigative journalism, is not happening and the role of journalism as the fourth estate is eroding,” he said. 

Pavlik said the public is increasingly obtaining its news from social media, which raises concerns about the quality of information on these platforms. On social media outlets, users can provide news to the public without going through a formal process of fact-checking and thus easily spread misinformation, he said. 

Another issue is the digital divide, in which economically marginalized populations cannot afford access to digital communications due to a lack of devices, internet access or electricity, Pavlik said. 

He said misinformation and issues with access affect the greater issue of democracy within society and journalism’s role in preserving it.

In the future, Pavlik said he thinks journalism will develop into a more inclusive and interactive space, with more diverse voices gaining a platform and reporting becoming more transparent. 

“Using digital technologies to make the news more transparent so the public can see what sources are the basis for the news and how facts have been vetted will help make the news more trustworthy and accurate,” he said. “All of these developments will help journalism in the pursuit of truth.”