Today I’m attending the Africa Media Perspectives conference in Stellenbosch. There are some inspiring and knowledgable speakers, but lets get out of the echo chamber:
So I ask you, how can journalism stay relevant in our chaotic and ever-changing environment? Or, what are we doing wrong? I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts.
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I don’t know yet…everytime i see PUBLIC opinions on the matter i get the impression they don’t know what exactly is at stake.
I think the epistemological shift we have experienced over the last 20 years or so hasn’t been explained enough. Or maybe it has but it’s not common knowledge.
We have lived through the most radical changes in information dissemination ever, and carry on as if its business as usual - frog in boling pot vibes.
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It comes down to the relationship we build with the audience. We need to remain cognisant of the role we play in that relationship - a conduit for information. To fulfil that role we need to remain connected to their reality and surface information that is relevant to them, asking the questions that they need answers to.
We also need to package it in an entertaining way to engage the audience individually, like a telling a friend a crazy story, or giving them advice, or introducing them to someone - or something - that will change their perspective/life/circumstances.
The closer we can get the audience to the story - using all the storytelling techniques to put them in the room next to us and have a front row seat to whatever we’re telling them - the more valuable we become to them. All of that requires authenticity and honesty.
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@SharpSchutters sounds like you need to be doing my job! 
Very well put.
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