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# Is nostalgia for print dooming journalism students to failure?
- URL: https://onemanandhisblog.com/2014/06/print-digital-dangerous-nostalgia/
- Published: 2014-06-18T12:13:11.000Z
- Updated: 2015-04-08T16:17:22.000Z
- Author: Adam Tinworth
- Tags: Journalism, journalism education, journalism students, nostalgia, print

![Grabbing a paper at the station](https://i0.wp.com/www.onemanandhisblog.com/content/images/2014/06/print-nostalgia.jpg?resize=960%2C348)

Merciless [attack on print nostalgists](http://www.shirky.com/weblog/2014/06/nostalgia-and-newspapering/?ref=onemanandhisblog.com) from Clay Shirky:

> The most important fight in journalism today isn’t between short vs. long-form publications, or fast vs. thorough newsrooms, or even incumbents vs. start-ups. The most important fight is between realists and nostalgists.

He builds a compelling argument that the media convering the media downplay the likely demise of print, and that too many people – including those teaching in universities – lie to young journalists about the future:

> If you want to cry in your beer about the good old days, go ahead. Just stay the hell away from the kids while you’re reminiscing; pretending that dumb business models might suddenly start working has crossed over from sentimentality to child abuse.

I think he misses one key point: some student journalists come in *wanting* to work in print. They come pre-equipped with nostalgia, and sometimes find a cozy welcome amongst academic staff who left the coalface of journalism before the digital shift happened in a big way. These sorts of students dislike being given the hard realities of life about the shift to digital – right until they see that all the jobs for young journalists being advertised seek digital skills.

*For would-be journalism students interested in those emerging journalism jobs in digital, I lead the social media and community module on the [Interactive Journalism MA](http://www.city.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/interactive-journalism?ref=onemanandhisblog.com) at City University in London – well worth a look.*