The epidemic has made the online office of American journalists The importance of newsrooms has become more prominent

The reference news network reported on December 15 that foreign media said that the busy newsroom has always been the lifeline of American newspapers. But in recent months, as the pandemic has deepened the industry crisis, journalists have been forced to work remotely, shifting their busy work from offline to online. Many journalists say the disappearance of the newsroom has changed the nature of their work, and they fear that newspapers may not be able to rebuild the newsroom even after the pandemic is over.

Malaysia's New Straits Times website reported on December 13 that in recent months, well-known media such as the New York Daily News, the Miami Herald, and the Baltimore Sun have abandoned their headquarters, and the epidemic prevention and control measures have left these offices empty.

The Hartford News, a unit of Forum Publishing, closed its newsroom this month. Emily Brindley, a reporter for the newspaper, said: "The newsroom is much more collaborative than many other workplaces. ”

Brindley's colleague Daniela Artimari said she believes the outbreak "proves that we can run newspapers with all employees working from home" and that the newsroom is unlikely to reopen. She worries that the quality of work will decline. "The newsroom is in a way an 'inspiration factory' where talking to colleagues generates some ideas," she says. These flashpoint ideas can really improve the quality of work. ”

For decades, the newsroom has been a mysterious place, from "Girlfriend Friday" to "Presidential Team" to "Spotlight", and many films have taken this as the theme. Marieke Rowland of the Modesto Bee Newspaper in California said, "Many journalists in the same room have some sort of alchemical effect. There's nothing more fun, energetic, and sometimes quirky than working in a newsroom. This is an incalculable loss, especially for local journalism. ”

Large newspapers such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal have maintained and even strengthened their journalistic workforces while adapting to telecommuting. Dan Kennedy, a journalism professor at Northeastern University, said: "No one doubts that [the big daily newspapers] will reopen the newsroom in a safe situation." Kennedy said: "I just hope that all the owners who want to do a good newspaper understand the importance of having a newsroom." ”

Source: Reference News Network