One of the challenges of writing a column such as this one is the gap between deadline and publication. In academic writing, it’s not unusual for an article to appear months after it was written. But newspapers thrive on the timeliness of their articles. The “scoop” – breaking a news story before other publications – is a source of pride for newspapers. And today, with most of us plugged into technologies of the instantaneous, events and reportage seem simultaneous.
Weeklies have a different rhythm. With neither the elastic timing of academic publications nor the breathless immediacy of electronic media, they strike a balance between the timeliness of breaking news and the meditativeness of slower publications. Like other columnists for The Canadian Jewish News, I’m always mindful that matters can change radically between the deadline for a column and its reaching its readership more than a week later.
In this, my 30-column for The CJN, I’d like to reflect on the important role of Jewish journalism and to express my respect for the editors, writers and other staff whose passion, professionalism and talent I’ve seen at close hand and have come to admire. “Thirty,” or “– 30 – ”, was a traditional typesetter’s way of marking the end of a newspaper article. When I wrote for my university newspaper as an undergraduate, it was common practice for graduating students to write a final column – called a “30-column” – reflecting on their university experiences and their hopes for the future. Like the “– 30 –” at the end of the news stories we submitted, the 30-column also signalled the end of something. But it also gestured toward a beginning.
It’s not simply my 30-column, but The CJN’s – 30 –, that I’ve been mulling. As I sit here writing, I’m thinking of how privileged we Canadians are to be served, challenged, educated and informed by this publication, and how much we stand to lose as it comes to a close. I’m thinking, too, that things can change between this moment of writing and its appearance in The CJN a week hence. Many people have voiced a desire to extend the life of The CJN. Perhaps by the time you read this, some plan may have been hatched. If so, this column may remind you of the famous 1948 Chicago Tribune headline that prematurely proclaimed Thomas Dewey as the next president of the United States, in an election won by Harry Truman. I hope that will be the case.
Still, it’s an opportune time to reflect on the importance of Jewish journalism – on publications and writers who focus on in-depth reporting and analysis of issues of importance to the Jewish community. I have known a number of people intent on a career in journalism who were persuaded to bring their impressive talents to the sub-field of Jewish journalism. Their work opens up our vista, captures for us a cultural moment. They help us look inward and local, outward and global. They probe, unravel, investigate, challenge and clarify. Like all members of a free press, they air multiple and varied viewpoints, and make us think.
Many of us are directed to the news we read, especially electronically, by news aggregators, where a variety of headlines and links are collected and sent on to us, often in the form of e-newsletters, e-briefings or e-alerts. While aggregators are helpful in bringing a cluster of subjects to our attention efficiently and quickly, they don’t produce news stories – they only gather them. As Jewish publications fold, the sources for meaningful coverage are diminished.
Among Jewish newspapers, The CJN has distinguished itself as a truly fine publication. As I think about its years of publishing, I find myself wondering how I would convince a promising student to go into Jewish journalism. Without talented young people seeing a viable future in the field, the rich and varied smorgasbord of reportage, features and analysis of matters of interest to a Jewish readership will shrivel. Were that to happen, we would lose out in incalculable ways.
Of course, Jewish newspapers aren’t alone in scrambling to meet the challenge of a changing journalistic landscape in the digital age. But we may have more to lose if we cannot support an independent Jewish press.