Steve Jobs: The man who changed Journalsim

Steve Jobs: "I believe in media, and in news content." (2010)



This week the world was saddened by the news that Apple Co Founder Steve Jobs had passed away. Part of the legacy this man left behind however, was forever changing the nature of journalism and the way news is consumed and distributed. Whether you view the current shift from print media to digital content as a change for the better, or see it as the end of quality journalism, no can deny the impact this man had in facilitating the change.

The invention of the iPhone and iPad changed many aspects of mobile consumer technology, through its full face touch screen, high speed internet browsing and use of third party apps, it’s clear that Apple revolutionised the way audiences could access news content. As Jeff Sonderman pointed out, the majority of media companies have had to adapt to the market created by Apple; “Currently 88 percent of national U.S. newspapers already have an iPhone app and most that don’t already have an iPad app are probably planning on one.” Despite this however, Jobs repeatedly insisted how much he valued professional journalism. In a 2010 press conference he was quoted as saying, “Anything that we can do to help The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal find new ways of expression so they can afford to get paid, so they can afford to keep their editorial operations intact, I’m all for it,” and later at the same conference, "I don't want to see us descend into a nation of bloggers myself." For journalists, time will tell if his legacy was for the better or for worse.


Sources:

http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/media-lab/mobile-media/144051/how-steve-jobs-has-changed-but-not-saved-journalism/

http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Science%2Band%2BTech/Story/A1Story20111007-303787.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judy-lubin/steve-jobs-and-the-future_b_1000180.html