Slow journalism: Finding Clarity in the Age of Information Overload

   

In the era of fast and instant news, the need for speed and immediacy has increased. Society has turned towards instant gratification and bite-size news format, ultimately leading to increased sensationalization and spreading of fake news. Thus, making slow journalism an emerging concept that seems counterintuitive as the pressure of immediacy has made citizens skeptical about the information they receive from the press, especially in the digital media. Journalism is faced with the need – or almost the urgency – to rethink, reinvent and redefine messages, routines, and processes. This blog explores the term slow journalism and its impact on present-day journalism.

 

Understanding slow journalism

Before we touch on slow journalism, we must understand the term journalism – a term often misunderstood as news. “Journalism is the business or practice of producing and disseminating information about contemporary affairs of general public interest and importance” (Schudson, 2003.)

Slow journalism refers to allowing the journalists to take their time which involves intensive research, long-form writing that aims at quality, and well-crafted long-form narrative. Thus offering an alternative to conventional reporting. Slow journalism exposes the way stories are reported, by, for example, crediting all sources, and being clear about what is original journalism. It mainly focuses on narrative storytelling that avoids sensationalization and herd reporting. In a broad sense, slow journalism is not scoop-oriented but rather it carries an ethos of commensality—the shared table—implying a more communal and non-competitive approach.

The need for slow journalism in the present context

As society is emerging and transforming due to technological and digital advancements there has been development, growth, and popularization of ICTs and a continually changing ecosystem in the sphere of the media industry and journalism which has turned out to be more dangerous than required. Morals and ethics are diminishing day by day leading to reinvented vices and (dis)informative phenomena such as fake news, clickbait trends, post-truth, and intoxication. We as consumers are also turning into cyborgs where technological advancements are commanding our behavior. Thus an idea like slow journalism emerges as a rescue solution that also proves to be viable and capable of increasing journalistic acceptance.

History

Although there is no clear origin of the word, there are several connections of the term which we are going to discuss further:

• Print media 

The practice of in-depth journalism has been a part of the media landscape for centuries. Early newspapers and periodicals often carried long-form articles and investigative pieces that provided readers with comprehensive information that was well-researched and detailed in nature

• Slow Food Movement Influence

The term "Slow Journalism" draws parallels to the "Slow Food" movement- The movement that began as a protest against fast food in Rome in 1989. Slow Food advocates for sustainable, locally sourced, and traditional food practices. The term "Slow" in this context implies taking the time to savour and appreciate the quality of food. This ethos resonated with some journalists who sought to apply a similar philosophy to their work.

Challenges to slow journalism

While slow journalism is re-emerging there are many various threats and challenges that need to be taken into consideration:

       Slow journalism demands extensive investigation, fact-checking, and the development of detailed narratives. When compared to fast news reporting, this can result in higher production expenses. As a result, slow journalism platforms may have difficulty finding feasible revenue models, particularly when competing with free or ad-supported news sources. Another important challenge that needs to be discussed is the reduced attention span of humans in general, hence now they only prefer short, fast, and instant news that is spoon-fed to them rather than lengthy well-researched content.

       This form also has multifaceted challenges like time sensitivity as the news is well researched and takes its own sweet time to be reported, the news that is of utmost importance will not be covered. It also includes issues like competition from fast media outlets and free content that a consumer would generally prefer over paid long content.

An important issue that needs to be discussed here is the declining trust of the audiences in media since the quality of journalism is only diminishing over the years. This also reduces the trust of the public in even re-emerging forms of media like slow journalism.

The Indian context

Slow journalism is a re-emerging branch of journalism in India, but it still remains to be a relatively niche concept compared to the dominant fast-paced news culture in the country. This could be due to various reasons that were discussed above as challenges to slow journalism 

Here are some of the few media organizations that have adopted the slow journalism format :

• The Caravan

Since its revival in 2010 as India's first long-form story journalism magazine, The Caravan has established itself as one of the country's most renowned and conceptually agile journals, setting new standards for Indian and South Asian media. It is a fiercely independent magazine that solely runs on subscriber-supported newsrooms with a diverse set of journalists who work across the nation.

• The Wire

The Wire is a digital news platform in India that aims to provide fair and unbiased reporting. While not exclusively a slow journalism outlet, it often features long-form articles and analytical pieces, delving deeper into various issues. Instead of the traditional models of family-owned, corporate-funded, and controlled or advertising-driven newspapers, websites, and TV channels, The Wire is one of the few independent media organizations that produce and promote quality journalism.

• The Probe 

The Probe's aim is to put the brakes on breaking news and report stories that matter to people credibly and responsibly. The Probe is one of India's first such digital news media platforms, emphasizing the necessity of breaking the news to the audience. One of its kind the probe was found by Prema Sridevi and now works as a leading name in the field of slow journalism.

     Slow journalism serves as a contrast to the digital age's quick pace of news distribution. Slow journalism provides a valuable alternative to sensationalism and fake news by prioritizing thorough research, narrative storytelling, and a collaborative approach to reporting. Despite problems such as rising production costs and shrinking attention spans, the integrity and depth of slow journalism are critical in restoring public trust.

           A question that arises here is slow journalism the future of the Indian media industry?