Journalism is often called the “first draft of history.” It records events as they happen, giving people insight into the world around them. However, the digital age has introduced a challenge: how to preserve this vital record. With the internet rapidly changing, budget cuts threatening newsrooms, and websites frequently disappearing, journalists are increasingly taking archiving into their own hands to ensure their work—and the historical events they document—aren’t lost.
In the past, preserving journalism was as simple as saving a physical newspaper or magazine. But in the digital world, archiving isn’t that straightforward. News outlets might shut down, links break, or entire websites go offline, and with them, years’ worth of reporting can vanish in an instant. For example, blogs or independent journalism hosted on platforms like Medium or Substack may disappear if those platforms change their policies or fold entirely. Even a site redesign by a media company can accidentally wipe years of archived content.
This fragility has made many journalists nervous about the future of their work. Some rely on third-party archiving services, while others take more direct control by backing up their own articles and media. The challenge of preserving the first draft of history has led journalists to adopt more proactive and sometimes innovative approaches to protect their stories.
Losing journalistic work doesn’t just affect the journalists themselves—it’s a loss for society as a whole. Journalism isn’t just a fleeting moment of news; it is a historical record that documents the political, social, and cultural events of our time. These stories provide crucial context for future generations to understand significant moments in history.
Think about major global events like the COVID-19 pandemic, the Arab Spring, or important elections. The journalism that covers these events becomes the foundation for how future historians, researchers, and the public will understand what happened and how societies responded. Without proper archiving, future generations lose access to those critical accounts and insights.
How Journalists Are Taking Archiving Into Their Own Hands
Many journalists now routinely download and save copies of their published articles. By keeping personal archives on external hard drives or cloud storage platforms, they ensure their work is preserved even if the original publisher’s website disappears.
Some journalists have created personal websites or digital portfolios where they host their work. This not only allows them to showcase their stories to potential employers or readers but also ensures they have full control over preserving their articles, photos, or videos.
Institutions like the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine help save webpages, allowing journalists to submit their work for archiving. This provides an extra layer of security, ensuring content is stored independently of any single publisher or platform.
In response to the fragility of centralized digital platforms, some journalists are exploring new technologies like blockchain. Blockchain offers a decentralized system for storing content, which can make it more secure and harder to erase or alter.
Beyond individual efforts, there are larger initiatives aimed at preserving journalistic content. For example, The New York Times launched the News Provenance Project, which investigates how blockchain technology can track and preserve digital news. Other collaborations between news organizations, libraries, and academic institutions aim to archive and protect investigative journalism and other significant reporting.
Journalism organizations are also creating shared databases to ensure investigative work is preserved securely. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), for example, uses secure digital archives to store sensitive investigative reports and make them accessible to journalists worldwide.
As the digital landscape evolves, the need for reliable, long-term preservation of journalistic work will only grow. Whether through personal backups or large-scale collaborations, journalists are playing an active role in protecting their contributions. In doing so, they ensure that the first draft of history remains intact for future generations to study, learn from, and understand.
By taking control of archiving, journalists are safeguarding their professional legacies and, more importantly, the historical records they create. It’s a proactive step toward ensuring the preservation of knowledge that shapes how we remember and learn from the past.
