Milton Wolf 2010 Seminar Report

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Penn collection
Other Publications from the Center for Global Communication Studies
Degree type
Discipline
Subject
Communication
Communication Technology and New Media
Journalism Studies
Funder
Grant number
Copyright date
Distributor
Related resources
Author
Center for Global Communication Studies at the Annenberg School for Communication
Contributor
Abstract

The 2010 Milton Wolf Seminar brought together practitioners and academics for three days of exciting debate in Vienna, Austria from March 17 to 19 at the Diplomatic Academy Vienna. Co-sponsored by the American Austrian Foundation, the Center for Global Communication Studies at the University of Pennsylvaniaâ s Annenberg School for Communication, and the Diplomatic Academy Vienna, the seminar explored the theme, â New media, new newsmakers, new public diplomacy: The changing role of journalists, NGOs, and diplomats in a multi-modal media world.â The Premise Discussion began with a recognition that: as new media and communication technologies diffuse worldwide, traditional media institutions face a range of challenges, from shortened news cycles to fragmented and shrinking audiences. Advertising revenues have declined as advertisers try to make sense of the new environment and to redirect their spending in efficient and effective ways, putting media under economic pressure. New technologies create demand for ever-more rapid news provision and non-professional, user-generated content competes directly with the products of traditional news media. In response to these pressures, many news operations have engaged in aggressive downsizing, reducing their staff complements and eliminating foreign bureaus in a bid to contain costs and refocus their operations. These institutions are attempting to adapt to new technologies while retaining their traditional role of supplying accurate and factual news, sorting the important from the irrelevant â the traditional foundations of their businesses. Predictably, under these difficult conditions, the quality of news products suffers. Scott Maier, an associate professor at the University of Oregon detailed the growing problem of inaccuracy in mainstream newspapers. Maier argued that, under the twin pressures of shorter news cycles and smaller newsgathering operations, the quality of news coverage is under threat, an argument echoed by several speakers. Maierâ s and othersâ research suggests that the problem is broad, applying to both the American and European contexts. What then, does this changing news landscape mean for journalists, NGOs, and public diplomacy practitioners?

Advisor
Date Range for Data Collection (Start Date)
Date Range for Data Collection (End Date)
Digital Object Identifier
Series name and number
Publication date
2010-05-01
Volume number
Issue number
Publisher
Publisher DOI
Journal Issue
Comments
Recommended citation
Collection