By Christen DeProto
Keynote speaker Arthur Sulzberger Jr., chairman and publisher of the New York Times, shared his vision for the growing demands of digital media in the 21st century, emphasizing the need for a renewed focus on journalistic values.
Sulzberger's speech came against the backdrop of the Judith Miller controversy, which has sparked an intense debate about credibility and reporting ethics.
When asked afterwards why the Times has not fired Miller, he described the case as an "institutional failure," involving many editors, not just Miller. "There's no question that the way people view us has changed," he said.
In his prepared remarks, the publisher offered seven points for modern journalists to follow:
First and foremost, we must be about news. The most important element of journalism is the audiences' ability to trust what they read, hear or see. Therefore, journalists should hold themselves to higher standards.
The inherent conflict between the demand for immediate information and our ability to provide it. Although the news media is very competitive, a journalist should strive to provide the most accurate and thoughtful information. It's more important to be right than to be first.
We must develop a better understanding of the new forms of conversation that are taking place throughout the Web. Traditional forms of media should not rule out the importance of new forms of content such as blogs and the readership they attract. Seven percent of the 120 million U.S. adults who use the Internet have created a blog, he said.
Journalism must do an even better job of embracing the new virtual communities. Media outlets must be willing to meet the needs of different segments in virtual communities.
The necessity of upgrading the ethical standards of journalism. The perception of the media by audiences is in great need of improvement and journalists should work together to become models in society for strong ethical behavior.
The necessity of ensuring that strong ethical values are adopted across the media. It is important to remember that while we still have access to almost everything at our fingertips, we must be cautious and remember that not all writers online take journalistic protocols seriously.
Attracting new generations of readers, listeners and viewers. It is critical to strengthen the ties with the new generations in order to best understand their needs and wants.
Sulzberger stressed that although journalists view online news as a new and competitive medium, at the end of the day the news is still the news and its delivery should be held to the same standards as traditional media.
It's important for the Times to develop a business revenue model that will allow it to continue to support its 1,200 journalists and $200 million annual budget, Sulzberger said. They may try other experiments like Times Select, which put online content from the Times' opinion writers behind a paid firewall. He jokingly tossed out the idea of "kidnapping readers' pets" as a way to raise money.
"Information does not yearn to be free," he said.
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