I ’ve always wanted to be a writer. I was drawn to the news industry for the opportunity to use creativity and language, and to give a voice to the people and events that shape our world. Today, I’ve realized that journalism professionals are responsible for much more than that. It’s time for us to navigate innovation, and embrace a new business perspective on media.

Nieman Reports believes that it’s our time to be disrupters to mastering the art of innovation in journalism, and understand that when times change, we must change our business.

Society’s need for news updates will always exist, but it’s time to integrate our typical coverage with convenience. According to Harvard Business School professor Clayton M. Christensen in an article for Nieman Reports, we must build capabilities for this new world. As newsrooms evolve their cultures to adapt to a digital world, we must change our processes and priorities on task at a time.

This theory holds true for publications all over the world, as newspapers expand to digital platforms, and slowly decrease print issues. Their slow transition continues, following the idea of taking on one task at a time, as print advertisements provide revenue while they plan for a new future of news.

Society’s need for news updates will always exist, but it’s time to integrate our typical coverage with convenience. According to Harvard Business School professor Clayton M. Christensen in an article for Nieman Reports, we must build capabilities for this new world. As newsrooms evolve their cultures to adapt to a digital world, we must change our processes and priorities on task at a time.

This theory holds true for publications all over the world, as newspapers expand to digital platforms, and slowly decrease print issues. Their slow transition continues, following the idea of taking on one task at a time, as print advertisements provide revenue while they plan for a new future of news.

Through four years in Michigan State’s journalism program, I’ve learned that news has also become an entrepreneurial art. From freelance writing, to digital apps that provide income and opportunities for writers to publish news on their own terms, news requires innovation. In How to Find Your Big Idea with Sara Blakely, Founder of Spanx, we learn that everything begins with a big idea. This hold true with Blakely’s company, and her big idea began with a problem and a solution. I understand that there are problems in traditional or older methods of news, but it’s our responsibility to provide solutions.

Truth be told, the idea of thinking like an entrepreneur scares me to pieces. I have minimal business experience, and I never imagined a world in which journalists must master a business mindset to publish news. Before we freak out – there’s good news. We possess the power of creativity, and a strong understanding of the news world, strong content development skills and communication competency.

Paul Graham provided insight to this new world we must navigate, and I am confident that with a solid plan of action – we can master the world of business. It’s time to dive into our ideas and take action – but how do we create a business plan to achieve our ideas? Graham explains that we have to first determine if there’s a possible path for our ideas, and then understand the market we are entering. If we chose to publish news digitally, we need to understand social media, online advertising and the format in which people desire to receive news. Next, we must understand the hardest part – how will this idea make money? Once we develop a plan of action, our creativity can take over, and the possibilities for success are endless.

It’s time for us to transform with our discipline, and learn the skills of new industries. Are we scared? Sure, we may be worried – but we are also filled with excitement, and it’s just a matter of time before journalists discover our power that’s been bottled away for ages. It’s time to change our ways, and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store.