Jarvis: "The fall of journalism is, indeed, journalists’ fault"

Jeff Jarvis on who's to blame for the decline of the media:

It is our fault that we did not see the change coming soon enough and ready our craft for the transition. It is our fault that we did not see and exploit — hell, we resisted — all the opportunities new media and new relationships with the public presented. It is our fault that we did not give adequate stewardship to journalism and left the business to the business people. It is our fault that we lost readers and squandered trust. It is our fault that we sat back and expected to be supported in the manner to which we had become accustomed by some unknown princely patron. Responsibility and blame are indeed ours.

Jarvis is on target, especially about squandering trust. I don't believe the media has come to grips with the fact that multitudes of Americans have lost trust and confidence in the media. When McClatchy assembles a fact-check team for the VP debate and reports nine Palin misstatements but just one Biden misstatement, trust evaporates. And trust is one of those things that when you lose it, it's almost impossible to get back.