"Technology and Us"
School of Technology
Centennial Symposium
An Extended Celebration

Spring Semester 2003

TECHNOLOGY AND JOURNALISM

Dr. Les Hyder

Chronicling of the everyday life of humankind and their society goes back to the drawings of our ancestors who lived in caves. A part of our basic nature is the desire to know what is happening and why. There have always been those, now known as journalists, among us who are not just willing but committed to maintain a recorded journal of daily happenings and share with others. As the population increased and society and its institutions expanded and became more complex, so too did the expectations of those who chronicled them in journals.

Providing information that is timely yet accurate and complete has been a continuing challenge for publishers. Meeting this challenge has compelled publishers to be among the early adopters or developers of technology that has enabled them to perform their functions in ways that are cost-effective yet audience-friendly. Few other business enterprises have consistently faced greater and continuing economic threats and challenges that have print media and, relatively recently, broadcast and electronic media, which has been among the threats faced by the print media.

This paper will examine the evolution of technology in journalistic media and consider the implications-past, present, and future-of technological changes. It will conclude by considering how technology is likely to change not only what we see and read in the mass media but how that information is received and used. The effect on media ownership and control will then be examined.