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The Death of Newspapers and The Future of Journalism

Sat, 02 Jan 2010 05:54:44 +0000

The daily local newspaper will soon become a quaint relic of the analog age, displaced by electronic media and instantaneous coverage of news events available to anyone at zero cost to the news consumer. How can a mainstay of local communities and even national news organizations remain in business, and how can they support the one essential role of newspapers — investigative journalism?

Although many rue the loss of a local or national newspaper out of nostalgia, the service of informing the public of newsworthy events will continue through many other media; in fact, it is fair to say that most individuals and communities are overwhelmed with news. It is not the news that people will miss so much as the newspaper. However, the newspaper itself is outdated in today’s society — why wait 24 hours or more for a “story” when one can learn about the significant event almost as it happens through live newsfeeds from independent reporters, bloggers, and other individuals posting not just a written account, but pictures, videos, and opinion all within minutes or hours of the event occurring. Thus, there will not be a dearth of news delivered to news consumers.

News is also just like any other consumer good. It is subject to a competitive marketplace of supply and demand. As the cost of supplying news has dropped dramatically with the advent of the Internet and mobile devices, and the means to transmit rich media over them, the concept of charging subscribers for a static, written report, and picking up the hard costs of human delivery compared to electronic delivery, one can see why newspapers might go the way of the milkman.

The main loss from the shuttering of newspaper companies could be investigative journalism. Reporters who were on salary at a newspaper who could spend months or years investigating a story of public corruption, cronyism, official misdeeds, egregious violations of law, and the like will arguably be fewer, and it is possible that only a few superlative investigative journalists will survive the decline of the newspaper industry. Clearly, journalism is going through some profound changes. The transformation of investigative journalism will be one of them.

It is certain that news will still be reported, but the suppliers of news will change. Most newspapers will not survive. Those that do will be small local newspapers that can make a profit on delivering a free newspaper paid for by advertising and some major national newspapers that cover a particular aspect of the news extraordinarily well. Some newspapers might survive by becoming charitable public benefit non-profit organizations that will solicit donations for survival and perhaps even amass an endowment to sustain the publication of a newspaper. The national papers that survive may be the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and perhaps USA Today. These papers are unique in their own way, even though their print publications are suffering from subscriber attrition. These three have very rich online presences, and other revenue streams that flow from their newspaper operations, such as selling photographs, books, and cementing agreements with hotels, libraries, and businesses for stable revenues. The Wall Street Journal also charges for its online site.

News will continue to be produced and delivered at accelerated rates and delivered instantaneously over wireless and wired networks so society will be no less well-informed; just the sources of news will change. Most importantly, the nature of journalism will change. It likely will not be about good writing, well constructed composition, or a nice human interest story — it will be more about images and communicating as much as possible while taking as little of the consumer’s time as possible; that may mean more pictures and videos, and fewer words. Lengthy description may be supplanted with actual footage. It will be Strunk & White on steroids, but there will be no lack of journalism.

The biggest question is whether any form of investigative journalism will survive. The answer is yes, but the form that survives will be radically different from today’s lone investigative journalist investigating and crafting a startling and compelling investigation; rather, it will likely be through many, many individuals reporting on the goings-on at their business, government office, place or worship, etc. The investigation will involve someone or some group of “journalists” mining the various news feeds and blogger reports and cobbling together the investigative piece. The romance of interviewing persons of interest and being an on-the-ground detective ferreting out the truth will disappear, and the new investigative journalists will be those who pull together threads of information, verify them, and see the patters that emerge from disparate sources. The new breed of investigative journalist may be someone who never actually conducts a live interview or leaves his or her computer for an investigation.

Thus, news and journalism will continue to thrive; newspapers in all likelihood, except for a select few, will likely not.

The Holy Blood Procession in Bruges

Tue, 26 May 2009 07:56:10 +0000

The historical tradition of Bruges says that after the descent from the Cross, Joseph of Arimathea took some of His blood and preserved it. Thierry of Alsace, Count of Flanders, received the relic in the Holy Land and brought it to Bruges. The Precious Blood arrived in Bruges, together with the Count, his wife Sybilla of Anjou and the abbot of Saint Bertin on April 7th 1150. The oldest document however, concerning this Holy Grail of Bruges, dates back to 1256. So, probably, the Holy Blood was one of a whole series of relics connected with the suffering of Christ, looted when the imperial city of Constantinople was sacked during the 4th crusade in 1204, and sent by Baldwin IX to Flanders. It is known that there was a relic of the Holy Blood in the Bucoleon palace of Constantinople. The manner in which the rock-crystal flask is cut also indicates an origin in Constantinople.

The oldest mention of the Holy Blood Procession dates back to 1291. The guilds of Bruges were obliged to participate in a procession of horse- and guilds-men, artisans and marksmen, city councillors and clergy marching in all their splendour with the relic round the city walls. In the 15th and 16th century, profane scenes with giants, the mythical Bayard Horse and the chambers of rhetoric of Bruges were added to the biblical scenes of the mystery plays. The Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood is for centuries the organiser of this procession. The theme still is some sort of a Quest for the Holy Grail: a search for the meaning of life and the pursuit of happiness and fulfilment that got many names – like the Kingdom of God or the New Jerusalem… This idea Bruges being a new Jerusalem also is far from new: Bruges was deliberately built as this New Jerusalem.

The Procession of the Holy Blood is opened by the police, a brass band, horsemen carrying the flags of Bruges, the Holy Virgin Mary as the patroness of the city and of course the Members of the Noble Brotherhood of the Holy Blood.

Old myths – and the Old Testament – tell us of existential matters: man looking for a lost paradise.

Abraham is departing from his familiar surroundings for a strange, but better land. But Joseph is sold by his brothers to a caravansary on their way to Egypt – people always will leave their “brother” behind. Joseph however becomes one of the most important men in Egypt, because he is able to interpret the Pharaoh’s visions. When the sons of Jacob, driven by hunger, make their way to Egypt, Joseph saves them. He is, as Jesus, an outcast who brings new life to humanity.

In all times, there are prophets who have a keen insight and see beyond the facts. They feel what the future will bring.

The story of Jesus’ life rings in a new time. God is speaking in Him. The birth of Christ is presented by the merchants of Cologne, because this city is the keeper of the relics of the Three Kings.

There are scenes of Jesus and the teachers and Saint John the Baptist, who prepares the way for Jesus. John is the patron saint of the city of Florence. Therefore it is the Nation of Florence that presents us the scene of John the Baptist, Herod and Salome. The frivolous man in power, Herod, had imprisoned the Baptist because he criticized his way of living: he had taken for himself his brother’s wife.

During a feast Herodias’ daughter danced so gracefully that Herod swore he would give her anything she asked. Salome demanded the head of John the Baptist.

Jesus gives the answer to the meaning of life. Following Jesus means: to love God always, even if you are at risk of losing your life. Here is the entry to Jerusalem and the Last Supper, presented by the Rhetoricians of the Holy Ghost or the Thirteen.

Jesus did not receive a fair trial. The Roman governor Pilate defended his own position, instead of searching for the truth. Jesus had to serve as a scapegoat.

Jesus was crucified in order to appease the anger of the people and to suppress the tensions in society. As Lamb of God he takes away evil once and for all. With Him a new time begins. From this moment begins the description of Jesus’ physical and moral suffering. He is the symbol of all who are tortured up to this day.

The scenes of the scourging and the crowning with thorns are presented by the masons and stone-masons, because, from the 15th century, their public worship took place in the chapel of the Holy Blood. Jesus is now “on the cold stone” – this statue, a work in 1900 created by Michiel D’Hondt, is venerated in the chapel of the Holy Blood, but is now in the Procession escorted by a platoon of Roman soldiers.

The events of Golgotha are represented by the miraculous cross of Damme. According to the tradition, it has been brought out of the sea by sailors. Since 1339 it is venerated in the church of Our Lady in Damme.

The inexpressible suffering experienced by those who are left. The mother who lost her son. Girls are singing a Stabat Mater. The Pieta…

Milan, capital of Lombardy, preserves the relic of the Holy Sepulchre. There also is a Church of the Holy Sepulchre – or a Jerusalem Church – in Bruges. The statue showed here is a copy of the one in this church (1702). In front of the Holy Sepulchre and led by grieving women goes Joseph of Arimathea carrying the chalice in which the blood of Christ was received.

A group with banners is called “the Arms of Christ”. The banners are portraying the instruments of the Passion or Arma Christi.

The Chamber of the Rhetoricians of the Three Saints present the scene of the Resurrection, because there are three saints in its coats of arms: St Barbara, St Catherine and St Mary Magdalene who was the chief witness of the Resurrection.

Now starts the historical section, with a herald announcing the arrival of Thierry of Alsace, returning from the Crusades. He brings the relic of the Holy Blood with him. Tradesmen and members of the guilds go forth to welcome the Count. The band enhances the spirit of the festive arrival in this “good city” while town messengers announce the annual fair and procession.

There are flagwavers and their flags are showing a pelican who feeds her young with her own blood to save them from starving to death; it’s a symbol of Jesus Christ you’ll find everywhere in Bruges.

And then there is Count Thierry with the relic. Besides him is his lady, Sybilla of Anjou. There are no Templars in the Procession. Nevertheless, according to the legend, it were the Knights Templar who gave the Count the relic of the Holy Blood. Count Thierry is followed by his son Philip of Alsace, who later will be the commisioner of Chrétien de Troyer, the writer of the first Grail Story, as is told in the article Perceval and the Holy Grail of Bruges.

Finally, the Saint George’s Guild opens the most important section of the procession. This guild was also responsible for maintaining order in the medieval city. Is it a coincidence their red cross reminds us of the banner of the Knights Templar?

The Holy Blood relic is carried by two prelates and four members of the Noble Brotherhood surround the shrine, dating from 1617, and set with hundreds of precious stones amongst which is the “black diamond”, coming from Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland. Here is a last picture of the shrine, taken in the morning, when it was carried out of the Chapel of the Holy Blood…

The Holy Blood of Bruges, a New Jerusalem

Perceval and the Holy Grail of Bruges

The Medieval Procession of Penance at Furnes

Archaeological Finds with Great Significance to Mankind

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 09:47:49 +0000

Archeologists are continuously working very hard to find important relic, fossils and remains which will provide us better understanding of the past. These people together with paleontologists and anthropologists are the people who are working day and night to look for valuable things that will supplement and strengthen our knowledge of history through significant findings they may find.

Behistun Rock

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Cuneiform writings, the form of writings of the Sumerians, were discovered in a small village in Behistun. It was called Behistun Rock. According to historians, the said writings were ordered by King Darius the Great for everybody to see the punishment for people who rebel against him so that others will not follow. It was written in the language of Old Persians, Elamite and Babylonian. The Behistun Rock in Persian language was discovered by the Italian Pietro della Valle and was deciphered by the English, Henry Creawicke Rawlinson in 1846. It became the basis of succeeding scholars in reading the two other languages written on it.

Rosetta Stone

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Rosetta Stone was instrumental in advancing modern understanding of hieroglyphic writing. Hieroglyphic writings left by the Egyptians were puzzles to modern scholars because no one knows how to read them. But in 1798, a piece of stone was found by a leader of the forces of Napoleon Bonaparte in Rosetta, near the Nile Delta area. Three kinds of writings were engraved on it- hieroglyphic, demotic and Greek. The text of the Rosetta Stone is a decree from Ptolemy V, a Greek who reigned in Egypt in 196 BCE, describing the repealing of various taxes and instructions to erect statues in temples.

It was deciphered by a French scholar named Jean Francois Champollion. He started researching by reading Greek writings, a language he already knew. He based here what was written on the Rosetta stone, and through this, he was able to successfully read hieroglyphics.

Dead Sea Scroll

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One of the greatest finds with great historical and Biblical significant is the Dead Sea Scrolls. It consist more or less 1,000 documents, including texts from the Hebrew Bible., These scrolls were discovered between 1947 and 1979 in eleven caves in and around the Wadi Qumran (near the ruins of the ancient settlement of Khirbet Qumran, on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea) in the West bank. The texts are of great religious and historical significance, as they include practically the only known surviving copies of Biblical documents made before 100 AD, and preserve evidence of considerable diversity of belief and practice within late Second Temple Judaism. They are written in Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek, mostly on parchment, but with some written on papyrus.

These archeological finds are three of the most important findings that have provided mankind a better knowledge and understanding of the past. Lots of things about the past could have remained mystery if these things were not discovered.

Socyberty » relic

The Death of Newspapers and The Future of Journalism

The Holy Blood Procession in Bruges

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Archaeological Finds with Great Significance to Mankind

Behistun Rock

Rosetta Stone

Dead Sea Scroll

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