Journalism is a tool

I just read a fascinating article by Geneva Overholser. In the article, Overholser addressed the problems that journalism faces today, which is nothing new. I could get on virtually any news website or read any paper and I could find an article about sagging subscription, layoffs, and the overall decline of print journalism. There's even a website called "Newspaper Death Watch."

So Overholser doesn't just rehash the same, tired situation. She gives us a solution.

In the article, titled Did journalism's business model distort journalism's social mission?, she answers that very question. And the answer is a resounding yes.

Overholser goes on to say, however, that not all hope is gone. Newspapers need not die; they need to be restructured. She said,

"For some of us, then, the problem may actually be that what we are worried about is saving journalism. Wrong focus.

Take the mission away from journalism and think more about journalism as a tool: We care about poverty, and how could we use journalism as a tool to make a difference."

According to Overholser, we should take the current model of journalism, which is a business model with a mission, and completely rework it. Instead of thinking of journalism as an end, we should think of it as a means. Overholser continues to say that this isn't promoting specific ideals. We are merely using the truth to convince people to take action. And that would be how we would sell ourselves to the advertisers.

What does everyone think? Could this model work? Should journalism shuck off its old business-oriented model in favor of a more "noble" line of work? Can we?