It is usually said that a good journalist is the one who gets to the news first. True, but not always. The web and social media have changed and distorted journalism a lot in recent years: now it is all a race to get there first, to post the news that will bring more clicks and therefore increase the number of visits to the site allowing you to earn a few more cents or attract an investor. And if you whatsapp marketing service don’t get there first? You follow the flow, you talk about what others are talking about, desperately seeking impressions and likes. The content to be published must be many and immediate. Such a mechanism can only be detrimental to the quality of the information and the texts.
In response to this trend, many journalists in Europe have been working for years to ensure a better future for this profession. Have you ever heard of slow journalism ? Well, with this article I hope to give you the right background to delve deeper into the topic and start reading and supporting quality journalistic content .
What is slow journalism?
As with all movements and emerging realities. It is complex to give an exhaustive definition in a few words. I will therefore help myself with what is written by wikipedia and by my italian colleagues at. Slow news (which i will tell you about in the next few lines).
In a historical era in which journalism travel photographers are professional is undermined by the pursuit of breaking news. At all costs, by click-bait headlines and content and by the mere re-proposal of press releases. Slow journalism aims to put quality information back at the center. Giving life to a good, reliable, in-depth product that has a long life. That is, that does not get lost after a few minutes in the indistinct flow of digital content.
Former journalist susan greenberg said that slow journalism takes the time to find things. Notice stories that others miss, and tell them with high quality standards.
Slow News talks about “content published when it’s ready, not when it’s supposed to be.”
Slow Journalism in Italy
When talking about slow journalism in Italy, the point of reference is certainly Alberto Puliafito, journalist and director of Slow News , a newspaper and website where you can find out more about the topic, but also read a lot of important journalistic content. Articles that, in the form of episodes, feed informative series that tell interesting stories and that do not “expire” over time.
Slow News is a slow journalism project that is open, from many points of view. In fact, you can subscribe to the newsletter to receive articles directly via email, you can decide to support the project financially (even with small amounts) obtaining other quality content and you can also propose yourself as an author of a story.
The book to read
And Alberto Puliafito himself, together with his colleague. Daniele Nalbone , wrote a very interesting book that I recommend you read. Slow Journalism – Who killed journalism?
The text by the two. Italian journalists tells buying house b of the qualitative decline that has hit the profession in recent years and does so by addressing various topics. From the style of content to the unhealthy relationship with digital, up to the sore. “Economic” notes, namely contracts and salaries. The book then presents the theses of slow journalism and the possible solutions to restore. Prestige to a profession that must always be at the service of the citizen .
The movie to watch
Alberto Puliafito’s project also gave birth to a documentary. Film ( which you can watch on demand on Vimeo ) that tells how the slow journalism movement was born and what its characteristics are. Through the voices of authors and journalists who throughout. Europe felt the need to work for healthier information .
