'Is World Journalism in Crisis?'

That was the question being asked on Wednesday 28th October at Coventry University, as 'Coventry Conversations' held its latest event, bringing together journalists and media experts from all around the world.

Hosting the event was BBC College of Journalism Editor, Kevin Marsh, a key figure in the world of journalism today.

The likes of Jeremy Paxman and Adrian Monck joined us from London and Geneva via video satellite, the optimistic Nick Davies joined us from Brighton, whilst journalism.co.uk's Judith Townend and Professor Fred Mudhai graced us with their presence in person.

I have to begin by saying the views put forward from the various Professors and Journalists were just as diverse as the were themselves. Perhaps I was rather naive walking into the conference, but just over 2 weeks ago, I sat avidly listening to Jon Snow saying that the 21st Century was the best time to become a journalist, now I was hearing about confidence crisis, economic crisis, over saturation in the market crisis. Just crisis, crisis, crisis!

Adrian Monck avidly stated that 'there is a jobs crisis in journalism', which was a view that most of the other speakers, more or less, agreed with. I think this opinion roots in what Jeff Jarvis, joining us from the U.S.A, was saying about journalism moving towards an entrepreneurial model. He followed this up by stating how, in certain parts of the world, hearing or reading about current affairs was becoming increasingly difficult, so difficult in fact that they have come up with the idea of radio through free phone calls - a truly inspired idea and one which I would definitely invest in.

But it is rather dire to see how the 'fall' of the economy has lead to something as vital as news to be diminished, to a certain extent. How can it be that places such as Starbucks and Costa are thriving in these times, as people spend more on coffee, yet cut back on their daily intake of current affairs? - something which, to me, seems more vital than an espresso.

This then leads to one of the issues that both dominated the discussion on Wednesday and links in with the talk presented by Snow - technology.
It was the opinion of many that with the constant updating and innovation of new technology - journalism is moving towards an entrepreneurial model, via blogs, twitter and online newspapers. Indeed why pay for a newspaper when you can read online for free?
But is this the cause of a jobs crisis? After all, writers must be paid online, however 'virtual' their jobs may seem.
Perhaps the answer lies in the opinion of Paxman who stated, how the importance of money leads to the fact that the 'need of a story is not of paramount consideration'.
Now this is view that I definitely share, it does seem to me that in this fast paced world, and an even more pressurised business world, the need for real - and by real I mean, honest stories, stories that matter and make a difference, have been lost.
Yes, these ideas of mine may seems slightly romanticised, but, to me, this is what journalism should be about, this is what attracts me to the career and makes me want to write.

Therefore, it is really not much of a surprise when the aspiring writer in me perks up when Richard Keeble takes to the floor and opens 'Crisis, what crisis?', this is followed closely by Nick Davies who seemingly, launches straight into how we are not in a crisis, and how content and editorial standards are the problem, a view which I am sure is reflected in his book, Flat Earth News.


So OK, maybe it is time for me to get my head out of the sand and analyse the reality. Yes there is a crisis. But as I've had a few days to mull it over, it leads me to conclude that there is no need for panic, as every problem does have its solution, does it not?

So how do we solve this problem?

Well, I for one have decided to take to my rebellious side and carry on blogging to you via Lipsync, to give to you views as raw and honest as you can get. I'm determined to keep informing you with my version of the news.

But I'm not too worried, journalism is the most powerful platform, I cannot see a world where we have to live without it.