The Crandall Historical Printing Museum

                The Crandall Historical Printing Museum had a profound effect on me that I was not expecting whatsoever.  My testimony of The Book of Mormon was strengthened, and my gratitude toward those who heeded the Spirit and sacrificed precious time and energy in developing the system of print grew.  Immediately after experiencing the tour, I wanted to share everything I learned with everyone else I knew.  Within an hour of returning home, a phone call to my mom was placed and a link to the museum’s website was posted on my Facebook wall. 

                I cannot believe I did not know a museum like this existed—and in such close proximity!  I am also astounded that I did not understand nearly as much as I thought I did about the background and history of print.  While print journalism is my chosen field of pursuit, I did not fully comprehend the deeper history and powerful effect that print can have on a society and ultimately an entire world.  I feel a heavier responsibility to use my words wisely with the intent to change the world for the better after experiencing this tour. 

                I suppose what astounded me most about the history we heard was how Heavenly Father made a way for the Book of Mormon to come forth in such impossible and unbelievable conditions.  I believe this just goes to show that the Lord is willing and assuredly will open a way for his purposes to come forth.  As an aspiring journalist, this gives me courage, confidence and comfort knowing that as long as I am trying to promote good in this world, He will not leave me without a way to succeed.  

Implications for Journalism

                Elder Dallin H. Oaks offers great insights about the future of society in his talk entitled “Where Will It Lead?”  He states and elaborates on four different areas of increasingly evolving societal trends that in include (1) the overemphasis on rights and the under-emphasis on responsibility, (2) the diminished readership of newspapers and books, (3) the material that is being taught or not taught that influences our future leaders, and (4) growing public distrust in public officials and figures.  These four points accurately represent the changing trends in society that can also play a major part in the future development of journalism.    

                One area of concern for our society’s future regards what is being taught (or rather, what is not) in schools or families that influences those who will be our future leaders.  These two areas of a child’s life are the most influential as they develop thinking skills and make decisions in their lives.  If they are not being taught correct principles or wholesome values, what can we expect from them in the future as our leaders?  Are we as journalist’s being responsible in this call to properly teach?  Media is another extremely influential aspect of a child’s life.  It teaches them how to perceive themselves, others, and the world around them.  Are we covering issues and reporting to the public properly so as to give them a foundation on which to base their developing beliefs?

                As journalists, it is our responsibility to appropriately cite information to the public and provide the world with as unbiased and true a view as possible.  If we are to participate in one of the most heavily influential areas of a growing child’s or teen’s life, we must raise up a generation of individuals we would be proud to have had a hand in.  We cannot simply sit on the sidelines, report incorrect or hazardous biases, and then expect the world to be a better place.  Journalists must be ever-aware of the shifting values and societal changes as they report news to the world at large and be prepared to influence the world for the better.  

The Future of Journalism – Dying or Evolving?

 Journalists are the means by which news is reported to the rest of the world, so it is a given journalism will never die out completely (no matter what kind of journalist one may claim to be).  The concern is directed more toward the print aspect, however.  As technology makes leaps and bounds past newspapers and other print editions, it is frightening to think of a world where everything goes digital or electronic. 

                I don’t believe print will ever completely disappear, as Tina Brown and Ken Paulson discussed in the video we watched as a class.  Too many people still rely on and rather enjoy having material copies to shuffle through.  However, we shouldn’t be blind to the shift journalism is making toward electronic sources.  This is understandable, though.  The rising generations are more electronically literate than older generations, naturally pushing everything to become more electronically accessible. 

                As for careers in journalism, I do not believe this is a detrimental shift; it is actually an exciting change in journalism’s history.  Any career in journalism is more exciting and fast pace than ever, which in turn allows aspiring journalists to show others they have what it takes to make it in this rapidly evolving industry. 

What is Journalism? (Comms 239)

What is journalism? Without having any former precognitions of the correct definition, I would define journalism as the study of accurately reporting or delivering information to the world through different channels of media. There are various ways of communicating information to the world, whether it is by the nightly news, a newspaper article, or simply by talking to a neighbor about the recent Republican National Convention. There are some mediums that seek to misinform the public, though such sources do not define pure journalism. True journalism seeks to inform the community at large of the events taking place in the world as quickly and as honestly as possible. Of course, there is room for bias depending on the individuals reporting the information or even from the channel or corporation in control of reporting the news. It is essential in journalism, however, to report information as seems most honest and basically informative. Journalism in any form is protected under the constitution. We are lucky to have the freedom to publish our work in any way we wish, whether it be through print, broadcast, or in any other form of journalism that exists. Overall, journalism is the means by which we are able to communicate information on a mass basis.