Paul Steiger, managing editor of The Wall Street Journal, didn’t foresee any impending threat to his paper’s survival, although he reiterated the importance of change.

“The Wall Street Journal of today doesn’t look much like The Wall Street Journal of five years ago,” he said. “Change is what we’re about.”

Along the same lines, Ann Marie Lipinski, the senior vice president and editor of the Chicago Tribune, said:

“There is a shifting economic model, which has become the story...It is separate from the story of journalism, which is as robust and exciting as ever. I actually think this is a golden age of journalism."

Some audience members were skeptical after the conference though, wondering whether the panelists had really spoken their heartfelt truth.

Panelists also gave their insight on new media.

“Blogging,” said Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sports, “is in some ways the best and worst part of journalism. The best part is the honesty. The worst part is there are no checks and balances.”

Cliff Sloan, publisher of the online magazine Slate, expressed his concerns about the diminishing number of foreign correspondents.

The real concern to address here is the American public’s interest: “it’s no accident that People Magazine generates more revenue than all of the other weekly magazines put together,” said Steiger.

Again, the main concern of most press industry insiders doesn’t seem to be waning profits and print circulations. Instead it is the overwhelming realization that the public is become less and less interested in what used to be considered important and relevant issues.

Source: The Daily Colonial through I Want Media