The Chain Affect

I think the biggest challenge facing a young journalist in today’s media is not only maintaining credibility but also even finding a decent paying job. The state of the economy is not beneficial to a journalist at the moment. Numerous publications are cutting back staff, putting more of a burden on the remaining staff and leading to more and more things slipping through the cracks.

For example, when fact-checkers are cut from a staff because they have the lowest job on the totem pole, the responsibility rests on the reporter to make sure the information they are reporting is one hundred percent accurate. When a reporter isn't conscientious about their facts, errors can leak through, causing the reporter to lose their credibility rather quickly. Even worse, the incorrect information can be read by many and be considered as truth when it is not.

I feel that this chain affect is extremely present in today's media. When something happens, like staff cut backs, effects, possibly like misprints, are bound to happen as a result. With that said, I sincerely hope I'll be able to get a job once I graduate from USC. It is very disheartening to see journalists, both student and professionals who are passionate about the industry, work hard and reap no benefits due to the state of the country's economy.

Jenna Frimmel is a junior print journalism major at USC. She's from Scottsdale and spends her summers on the east coast. She enjoys reading Us Weekly and InStyle, online shopping, going to La Barca on Tuesdays and is a huge fan of Yogurtland.