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Imagine a reporter half a world away covering local streetlight contracts and sewer repairs? A reporter who is nowhere close to the location but still manages to air his report.
But that's how it is today. Outsourcing first claimed manufacturing jobs, and then hit services such as technical support, airline reservations and tax preparation. Now the next in line is local journalism.
James Macpherson, the Editor and Publisher of pasadenanow.com, has hired two journalists to report on local government and political issues. Is this really newsworthy? Are not local journalists hired to report on local issues every day? Yes.
James, the editor and publisher of the Web site pasadenanow.com, recognize that it sounds strange to have journalists in India covering news in and outside Los Angeles.
The editor said, "The idea to him makes business sense because of Indias lower labor costs eliminates the need to have an onsite journalist". Besides the work can be done afar as it can be watched over the Internet.
He further adds that, "It could be a considerable way to increase the quality of journalism on the local level without the expense that is a major problem for local publications. "No matter if you are in Pasadena or in Mumbai, you are just a phone call or e-mail away from the interview."
The belief that a journalist from India can accurately report on issues of local government and other events has still very few takers. One is of the opinion that "how can a journalist report on a local matter or a any other local issues, without knowing or understanding the original cultural, moral, or political tones that ultimately creates such news?
Very less people would vest their trust on such reporting by people who do not know the institutions , and are not even there physically to witness the proceedings," said a California journalism professor who is also a resident of Pasadena. "This is a truly sad picture of what American journalism could become."
A UCLA professor of technology and strategy who outsources copy editing and graphics work to Indian businesses, states it is a shaky business proposition. He further cites his opinion that "if it is all about sophisticated reporting, then Macpherson could end up spending more time editing than the labor savings.
This is not the first time media jobs are outsourced to India. The British news agency Reuters runs an operation in Bangalore, the silicon city of India, that churns out Wall Street stories based on news releases.
Macpherson appears to be the first to try outsourcing journalism work thats was traditionally been done by reporters who walk the streets they cover.
Macphersons said his Web site, which he runs out of his house, gets about 45,000 unique readers per month but is not yet profitable.
Macphersons after hiring these journalist wanted them to broaden pasadenanow.coms content from news releases and event listings to analyses of issues before the council, and perhaps eventually to investigative reports.
An annual cost of $20,800 for the pair, which is not a bad wage for an Indian journalist and cheap by U.S. standards, each one had to produces 15 weekly articles.
Pasadena city spokeswoman Ann Erdman said coverage from afar shouldnt pose problems if the articles are well-edited. In any case, she said, "Local government is certainly not in the practice of dictating to local business who they can hire and where those employees should live."
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