Studying Journalism allows you to understand many principles of the media that others may not. Journalistic principles and methods are changing, now more then ever. This was addressed in the very first lecture that I attended. With social media exploding in popularity, some would say that the traditional traits of journalism have all but lost to a Twitter and Facebook boom. However this, in my opinion, is not the case.
This "Social Media Revolution" is a benefit to journalists everywhere. A blessing even. Social media now allows for those who wouldn't normally have a voice to express it. This not only opens up new alleys of information but can provide a completely new angle to research and bring to light.
Citizen journalists now have a far easier task of getting their work published and heard. Through such mediums as blogging, tweeting and even to an extent texting, the stories of those who have a front row seat to massive events/issues can have be broadcast to a massive audience.
For example, two budding American journalists who started by simply filming an Occupy protest have taken the challenge of filming in the corrupt, war torn state of Syria.
The article in the Guardian (http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us-news-blog/2012/mar/05/american-citizen-journalists-syria) says that the par have managed to cross the border into the volatile nation three times " totaling approximately 10 to 15 hours in the country near the Turkish border town of Guvecci" and "... have returned with footage of their surreptitious entry, as well as two interviews from inside a Syrian refugee camp in Turkey. "
Despite the issues of pay walls and the downfall of print media, I believe that this social media boom is beneficial for the field of journalism. As the media evolves, the fields that support it should as well.
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