MIAMI – Journalism, and the media business, is constantly evolving. Every year Miami-Dade County Public Schools addresses these changes at a student social media forum.
On January 21, student journalists from across the district were invited to the MDCPS School Board auditorium to meet with, and learn from, experienced journalists from every field of journalism.
This year’s forum brought together media professionals from print, broadcast and radio: Brian Entin, an investigative reporter for WSVN 7; Jaime Guirola ,a general assignment reporter at NBC 6; Michelle Jurado, an assignment desk editor from Univision 23; David Ovalle, a writer from the Miami Herald; and Kyrah Williams, a manager who handles social media engagement for Cox Radio.
The forum wasn’t simply about the use of social media, but also the importance of journalism amidst the social backlash that reporters face.
Journalism is the backbone of our democracy.
“A loss of journalists leads into a dark tunnel… a deprivation of human rights, a darkness of society,” Superintendent Alberto Carvalho, said in his opening remarks. Journalism is “a noble profession of truth-telling, they are defenders of democracy.”
The Superintendent encouraged students to read, to learn, to lead, and to “speak truth to power.” Adding that it is the students across the district—their drive, determination and dedication—that inspires him to return to work each morning.
“All positions, all opinions accept all people in a democracy. In a free society you do not need the government to express your opinion, says Carvalho. “Then in this free society, the indispensable role of the media is ever present and ever needed.”
The forum began with a panel discussion, each journalist giving a two-minute summary of their experience before and then giving their thoughts mainly on the impact social media has on the news, and the way it’s spread.
“Social media has changed the way we report. We are all storytellers,” said Daisy Gonzalez-Diego, Chief Communications Officer of Miami-Dade County Public Schools and moderator for the event. The rise of social media offers the average person to be a reporter, and share their local news. Often times, journalists in the field are looking for stories and sources in their Twitter or Facebook feeds, building their stories from the inklings they find.
And social media has also changed the way people communicate, how they think. “Everyone is angry,” said Ovalle. And that anger is often directed at journalists who have to work to rise above the noise, above the yelling and above the opinions.
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A journalist’s job is to provide the facts, ensuring that whatever news is released to the people is objective and true.
As social media use becomes increasingly prevalent, even fact-finding becomes more challenging. Often, social media feeds are filled with rumors, lies and inaccuracies. Which means that journalists must work harder to confirm the authenticity of photos, videos and so-called witness accounts.
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The media world is changing—fast. Journalists have to keep up. They have to be knowledgeable, tech-savvy and adaptable.
“You have to make yourself invaluable,” said Gonzalez-Diego. That means working harder and smarter. It means taking initiative and becoming an expert at one’s craft. “It’s just a matter of being in there and offering something that they might not have, a skill-set, an expertise,” she continued.
But, as the world of news delivery changes, and as the systematic approach to attain the news evolves, there is one responsibility that remains constant: reporting the truth.
“Good journalism spreads truth. Free journalism is the highest level of insurance a democracy can have,” said Superintendent Carvalho.
Journalists are the Fourth Estate, government watchdogs, gatekeepers of information. At the end of the day, they seek to tell the stories that matter.
