The future of journalism...

In a Memeburn interview with Janet Heard, a 2009/10 Nieman fellow of journalismwho attended Harvard University for an academic year, Heard said that there is "a considerable amount of panic about the future of journalism, and lots of experimentation taking place with regard to new media models", but that through the year, there was a shift in tone from despair to optimism. We realised that the focus should be on the craft of journalism – irrespective of the medium. The real issue is finding ways to deliver on our goal to be accurate, truthful and trustworthy. A flourishing press is an essential tool in any democracy. We began to concentrate on ways to retain quality journalism. We also discussed at length ethical issues in the digital era – from plagiarism and attribution to accountability and fact-checking." Read the rest of her interview here, and then summarise and give your own opinion on her comments.

Concerns about the state of SA journalism

The standards of South African media and investigative journalism are far below international standards and most of the newsrooms are juniorised, and that constitutes a big concern for the South African National Editors' Forum (SANEF), Primedia Broadcasting head of news and current affairs Yusuf Ambramjee told delegates attending the Annual Media and Marketing conference currently unfolding at the Wanderers Club in Illovo, Johannesburg.

Read the rest of the story here - what is the major complaint about South African journalism that is raised in the discussion?