20200
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20100
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2020
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7

The year of student-powered journalism

“Stepping into the void left by constant layoffs, newsroom closures, and media consolidation, college students will provide news and information of great import and interest on an unprecedented scale.”

In 2020, the boots — or high-top sneakers — on the ground will be increasingly owned by student journalists covering social and political issues affecting communities and states. Stepping into the void left by constant layoffs, newsroom closures, and media consolidation, college students will provide news and information of great import and interest on an unprecedented scale.

Academic institutions will continue to become local journalism hubs, particularly in news deserts where there is no daily news outlet or in areas with diminished coverage. The uptick in enrollment in journalism programs will fuel this trend.

Watch for expanded community and investigative reporting as well as longform storytelling being published across English-speaking and bilingual platforms alike. Watch for election-year political coverage through the lens of a younger demographic.

Watch for further investment in online news services (like Fresh Take Florida, NNS, and CNS) by alumni, foundations, and supporters of a free press. Watch for the creation of newsletters, podcasts and special reports focusing on local neighborhoods and people.

All of this and more will be powered by college students guided by educators, who were once stalwart professionals who moved from newsrooms to the academy.

As we enter a new decade, expect this to be a golden one for emerging journalists as they report, write, produce, and disseminate stories like no other generation. Look to your left or right while on assignment to see a young reporter from the area college, standing there with a press pass, recorder, camera, mobile device, and/or pen and pad, covering that big news event or routine city council meeting.

Students won’t just be learning how to hold power accountable — they’ll be doing it.

Mira Lowe is director of the Innovation News Center at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications.

In 2020, the boots — or high-top sneakers — on the ground will be increasingly owned by student journalists covering social and political issues affecting communities and states. Stepping into the void left by constant layoffs, newsroom closures, and media consolidation, college students will provide news and information of great import and interest on an unprecedented scale.

Academic institutions will continue to become local journalism hubs, particularly in news deserts where there is no daily news outlet or in areas with diminished coverage. The uptick in enrollment in journalism programs will fuel this trend.

Watch for expanded community and investigative reporting as well as longform storytelling being published across English-speaking and bilingual platforms alike. Watch for election-year political coverage through the lens of a younger demographic.

Watch for further investment in online news services (like Fresh Take Florida, NNS, and CNS) by alumni, foundations, and supporters of a free press. Watch for the creation of newsletters, podcasts and special reports focusing on local neighborhoods and people.

All of this and more will be powered by college students guided by educators, who were once stalwart professionals who moved from newsrooms to the academy.

As we enter a new decade, expect this to be a golden one for emerging journalists as they report, write, produce, and disseminate stories like no other generation. Look to your left or right while on assignment to see a young reporter from the area college, standing there with a press pass, recorder, camera, mobile device, and/or pen and pad, covering that big news event or routine city council meeting.

Students won’t just be learning how to hold power accountable — they’ll be doing it.

Mira Lowe is director of the Innovation News Center at the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications.

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Whitney Phillips   A time to question core beliefs

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Pablo Boczkowski   The day after November 4

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John Garrett   It’s the best time in a century to start a local news organization

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Craig Newmark   Formalizing newsrooms’ battle against disinformation

Fiona Spruill   The climate crisis gets the coverage it deserves

John Keefe   Journalism gets hacked

Peter Bale   Lies get further normalized

Jeff Kofman   Speed through technology

Sarah Schmalbach   Journalist, quantify thyself

Mira Lowe   The year of student-powered journalism

Mike Caulfield   Native verification tools for the blue checkmark crowd

Steve Henn   The dawning audio web

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Matthew Pressman   News consumers divide into haves and have-nots

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Stefanie Murray   Charitable giving goes collaborative

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Sarah Marshall   The year to learn about news moments

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Josh Schwartz   Publishers move beyond the metered paywall

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Catalina Albeanu   Rebuilding journalism, together

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Dannagal G. Young   Let’s disrupt the logic that’s driving Americans apart

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Joni Deutsch   Podcasting unsilences the silent

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Raney Aronson-Rath   News deserts will proliferate — but so will new solutions

A.J. Bauer   A fork in the road for conservative media

Jakob Moll   A slow-moving tech backlash among young people

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Sarah Stonbely   More people start caring about news inequality

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Helen Havlak   Platforms shine a light on original reporting

Rick Berke   Incoming fire from both left and right

Kristen Muller   The year we operationalize community engagement

Lauren Duca   The rise of the journalistic influencer

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Alexandra Borchardt   Get out of the office and talk to people

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Simon Galperin   Journalism becomes more democratic

Geneva Overholser   Death to bothsidesism

Kathleen Searles   Pay more attention to attention

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Mary Walter-Brown and Tristan Loper   Power to the people (on your audience team)

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Ernie Smith   The death of the industry fad

Joanne McNeil   A return to blogs (finally? sort of?)

Christa Scharfenberg   It’s time to make journalism a field that supports and respects women

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Alfred Hermida and Mary Lynn Young   The promise of nonprofit journalism

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