JOURNALISM and its negotiation of online and social media

Whether we like it or not technology is changing and determining society. However, the perceived effects of this technology on modern journalism are divided. Is online media devaluing journalism? Is it just regurgitating content, where the journalist becomes nothing but a word processor? Or, do we sit on the other side of the fence, where technology is a reflection of our creative and constantly changing and evolving society, which helps to connect people from around the world in ways otherwise not possible? Who knows! One thing that has become obvious though, is that journalists are needing to embrace these technologies in order to more effectively communicate with their audiences and ‘do their job’ per say.

Social media has changed the way people share and consume content. Journalists need to take into account this whole new audience that social media has created. And it’s certainly not all bad for journalists. Social media can help journalists be more effective and efficient in their news reporting. Not only, is social media an effective form of two-way communication, which can not only build stronger relationships with audiences but can also gain valuable user input, it also offers an array of sources and information in ‘real time’ so audiences can stay updated and get ‘on-the-spot’ reporting in an accessible and inexpensive way. But no, I don’t believe this media can overtake traditional journalism and all traditional journalism is garbage. That’s garbage! Publications do however, need to upgrade and provide the best services available to their audiences. It's no longer about traditional journalism vs. new journalism. It's about collaborating the two. If journalists can continue to be versatile in their storytelling traditional journalism will remain a valuable news resource. So, this whole social media thing…how can journalists contribute?



First, take twitter. Twitter can be used as both a primary news source, working alone to produce the news and also a supporting news source, in collaboration with traditional media to disseminate or build the news. Think about it, these days twitter is one of the main sources where people get their news and honestly, it’s the main way I get my news and it’s certainly the first source I learn news from. From following an array of news twitter sites, including the SMH, Daily Telegraph and the 7pm Project, to following newsworthy individuals themselves, twitter is good for getting information quickly, and often more accurately, especially when hearing it from the horses mouth. I mean, who is more credible to give news about the Kardashians than Kim, Kourtney and Khloe themselves? When I read the daily papers, I’ve already heard the news. Another interesting element of twitter is the fact that I get to choose my own news. I get to choose what I need to/want to know. I can follow whomever I want and therefore, to a degree, choose the information I receive. With newspapers-we’re told what we need to know. They’re deciding for us!

So, should engagement with social media like twitter be a compulsory part of the journalist’s job? Social media isn’t only good to disseminate information to audiences in a more efficient and perhaps effective way; it’s also a good tool for journalists to inform themselves about conversations around their topic, from around the world. If journalists can learn the vocabulary of modern social media, they can engage their audiences to get information from these resources. It’s all about pooling resources for the better of news…or is it?