Anchor Fan

Journalism Industry Being Destroyed as Result of Advent of New Forms of News Media and Economic Downturn. There, I did it. The basic point of my commentary has been whittled down to a mere 17 words. I could almost feel myself cringe as I wrote that flimsy fragment. If you are a fan of the 24 hour news cycle and the various internet outlets that provide an endless supply of news in the form of pictures, blogs and tweets, you should probably stop reading. Who am I kidding? You probably already have. With newspapers going out of business and magazines significantly cutting down on staff and focusing more on online content, it 's not 'news ' to anyone that the industry is changing significantly. So all I can do is lament as a fan of traditional news media, as a graduating senior who once saw journalism as my calling and as someone who also feels responsible for the death of traditional news mediums.

I admit it, I 'm guilty too. I canceled my subscription to Time magazine (why bother when I can get the same content on my phone?), and I often check perezhilton.com before cnn.com during my morning news scan, but I still find myself very attached to watching the local news. which might make me unique in my 18-24 year-old demographic. I love the anchor banter on the morning shows and I am a sucker for puns and word play. These factors all account for why, when I was offered the chance to work at NBC4 Washington this summer, I jumped on it. While the job was unpaid, I felt compensated in that they didn 't mind if I watched the 4pm news live everyday in the studio. Believe me, the reporter commentary is even better during the commercial breaks! But even the anchors themselves would ask me jokingly, "What are you still doing here? Don 't you have anything better to do?" Before I even started, I made sure I knew the names of all of the meteorologists just so that I could offer a witty comment about the weather if I was ever standing in line with them at the cafeteria.

But there is no way that I could have prepared myself for what it would actually be like to be an intern during such a transitional time in the business. On my first day on the job, my boss whisked me around the office introducing me to people with whom I would be working during my short time there. Little did I know that I would effectively outlast a number of the staff members whom I met, including my own boss. At the end of these brief introductions with the producers, camera crew, editors and writers, they would always mention to her, "And by the way, I am so sorry to hear that you are leaving us."

It seemed strange to me at the time that they would decide to keep me on as an intern when my own supervisor was being laid off. But what better way to help a struggling business than to rely on a steady source of free labor? However, on a personal level, I never felt more valued as an intern.

During my first week, the general manager of NBC4 organized a meeting with all of the interns at the station. He asked us what we thought was the mission of NBC, and when we responded with idealistic answers such as getting the highest quality information out to the public, he shot back by explaining that this was incorrect and that the primary goal of the company, like any other, is to make money. He pressed us again, asking how his business can stay alive when our generation is now so accustomed to accessing the news for free online? This was not a trick question nor was it accusatory. He simply wanted to know.

The interns responded that the best ways to fix the news system might include sending out more mobile messages and tapping into social media networks. Twitter was mentioned in at least eight of the comments. I still find myself puzzled as to why people like this or how this makes money; I think Twitter 's creators might still be scratching their heads when it comes to this aspect as well. It became pretty clear that while I may have a passion for the traditional local news segments, this is not a common sentiment.

Less than a week after the meeting, NBC4 launched "SoMyCity" in response to the input from the interns. This new website feature allows subscribers to post brief comments about the goings-on in Washington or in their lives as a way of connecting the public to the news circuit. My problem with this kind of forum is straightforward. I don't care. I do not want to know if user "sunflower607" prefers Sweetgreen to Ice Berry or that "lovetheNats" is enjoying Restaurant Week. This is not news!

And while NBC4 pours time, energy and money into these new media techniques, the NBC staff and the quality of the news programs are bound to suffer from the redistribution of resources. Already, many reporters are being forced to shoot more stories on their own; with an increase in staff cuts, they will soon be responsible for doing a significant amount of editing and producing as well. I understand that NBC is a business and must keep up with technology and cost effective strategies, but if the managers continue to lay off writers, what will happen to all of those seemingly impossible segues and memorable one-liners?

"This is Colleen Reding, reporting to you from the Georgetown Independent, and I'll be seeing you again next month." Sadly, I think it is time for me to stop practicing my sign-off, and start pursuing a more stable career path.

Reding is Government senior and Associate Editor.