Journalism is not dead. It just went public.

Great panel discussion more smart, less stupid sponsored by the Council of PR Firms, and chaired by our Porter Novelli CEO @GaryStockman.

Lines between the classic definitions of news and journalism are blurring quicker than is comfortable for most communication professionals. What is news, and who brings it, and controls its authenticity. With citizen journalism, thriving blogger communities and hyper fast social networks like Twitter beating the big traditional news consortia heavily on speed and authenticity, the silent question in the room was clearly: is journalism dying?

Let’s face it: it is not. While lots of journalists are still moaning because social media just got the net worth of their precious press card down considerably, others are embracing the new toolkit, and the new way of working.  For the public, there is no difference between a good blogger, and a good journalist. A verifiable link on Twitter gives a news story as accurate as a snippet on CNN. Journalism  is not dying. It just went public in a big way, turning millions of engaged and highly connected citizens into the game.

Like with noodle soup, the best bits will float on top real soon.  Darwin voiced it in a very trendsetting way: it is not the strongest that survive, nor the most intelligent… but the ones most adaptable to change.

News and journalism moved on, into a new space. Your traditional way of thinking about your corporate communications will by no means be able to cope with this dramatically changed set of rules. If your internal and external communication professionals are not ahead of the curve, and adapted to an era where more than ever the public controls your brand, you’re in for a bumpy ride….