Digitella’s Monday morning journalism lecture seemed to drag on for light years. When the bell finally rang, she made a run for the door, but was stopped by her lecturer, Prof Lineon.
“I hear you are blogging about citizen journalism,” she said, logging off her computer. “As a student getting a degree in journalism, I was interested to hear your thoughts on this article.”
Prof. Lineon pulled a sheet of printing paper out of her desk drawer. “Do you feel threatened by everyday people on the street who are now able to do what you do for less money?”
Digitella scanned the article and later that afternoon, frantically sat down to write:
“Over the past few weeks that I have begun to immerse myself in the world of citizen media and all it has to offer, I never for one moment questioned what the rise of citizen reporters would mean for my future career as a professional journalist.
In an article for Bizcommunity.com, Chris Moerdyk writes that news media owners can take advantage of this recent wave of citizen journalism and cut ever-increasing costs by slashing editorial staff numbers and using content produced by unqualified, citizens. After all, why should media owners pay staff R3.50 a word, when there are millions of people who are willing to share their content for free?
Well then, what about me? Is getting a degree in journalism a complete waste? Will the role of professional journalists one day be obsolete?
My guess is – not likely.
Yes, citizen journalists come cheaper; yes they may very well be better writers and photographers than those brandishing honours degrees. But, why then are professional journalists still more trustworthy than blogs and user-generated content? Why do citizen media sites like Digitaljournal have a small editorial staff of professional journalists who check articles before they are published?
The answer is - credibility.
I believe what citizen journalists lack is an understanding of the media they are working with and how to best report on an issue. Over the past few months, I have been taught that reporting should be fair, accurate, and balanced. It should be unbiased and present issues in such a way so that people can make up their own minds. It is these qualities that give professional journalists credibility.
But, what exactly is credibility? The dictionary defines it as “the quality of being believable or trustworthy". For a media producer it means, among other things, getting all sides of a story, and checking the facts.
I do feel that citizen journalists can pose a threat to professional journalists, but only if professionals fail to be credible reporters of news.
In a recent presentation, Dan Gillmor says that “[journalists] must maintain core principles, including fairness, accuracy, and thoroughness. These … are essential if professional journalism expects to survive.”
The rise of cheap citizen journalists does not make me nervous, but it does make me aware that I need to work harder at establishing credibility through reporting that is fair, accurate and balanced.”
Digitella posted her entry with the feeling that she had just opened a can of worms …
Next week, Digitella delves deeper into the crevices of the professional/ citizen journalist debate.
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label journalism. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 July 2007
Tuesday, 05 June 2007
Episode 4 - The one where Digitella tackles online advertising
Digitella left Tek’s office, clutching her backpack and thinking about their conversation. She wasn’t sure it was so easy to let the blog/ journalism debate go, but for now she had to. She did believe that there were more important issues to look at – but what?
“How much are you going to worship me?” Mo said, tapping Digitella on the shoulder. Shoving her wide-rimmed glasses up her nose, Mo handed Digitella a printed piece of paper. Digitella read it and laughed. “Wow, my dear, you are fabulous! How do you find this stuff?”
“Just call me Moogle!” she giggled, skipping down the corridor.
Digitella found a shady spot on one of the campus lawns and eagerly pulled her laptop out from her backpack:
“We are all under the impression that citizen journalists don’t make much money – especially online citizen journalists. Unless you sell your content to news sites like Reporter.co.za or Ohmynews (whose pay won’t even cover the cost of your dial-up connection) you probably won’t make any money. Blogs, especially, are notoriously non-profitable.
But, wait … there have been hushed whispers and stirrings in the SA advertising world. It seems that advertisers have finally cottoned on to the fact that online media is popular and that more and more people are going online (people with money to spend that is).
I just read an article that said in the past two months aggregator site Amatomu has registered 350 000 outbound clicks to SA blogs – impressive. But, that wasn’t what caught my eye. Apparently, the company is planning to establish an advertising network that will share revenues with top blogs. Maher says that Amatomu wants to bring advertising to the blogosphere … Hmmm. Do I smell more trouble for traditional media?
An article I recently read says that Google currently has SA’s biggest market share in terms of online advertising. Its easy-to-use advertising model lets small-fry advertisers who can’t afford to place ads in big media advertise via Google on small websites and blogs. Google coughs up money every time a person clicks on an ad they are carrying. This lets bloggers make a few rands off their sites and with hundreds of thousands of registered blogs in SA, the amount of revenue generated could be HUGE. This could mean bad news for traditional media.
The bulk of traditional media’s money comes from advertising and if advertisers are going to take their money online, newspapers and magazines are in for a rough ride. This is just one more reason for traditional media organisations to tap into online media – and fast. In my opinion, if newspapers do not want to lose their advertising they need to create a website (even if it is a tad archaic), just to get their foot in the door and to hold on for dear life to their very life source. We can’t ignore the digital age any more – money is power and the power is slowly shifting.
Wake up.”
Digitella posted the entry and found herself humming the lyrics from an old song … “It’s all about the money. It’s all about the dum dum da da dad um. It’s all about the money.” Indeed it is …
Due to Cricket - Citizen Media: the Days of OUR Online Lives will not be posted for the next few weeks.
“How much are you going to worship me?” Mo said, tapping Digitella on the shoulder. Shoving her wide-rimmed glasses up her nose, Mo handed Digitella a printed piece of paper. Digitella read it and laughed. “Wow, my dear, you are fabulous! How do you find this stuff?”
“Just call me Moogle!” she giggled, skipping down the corridor.
Digitella found a shady spot on one of the campus lawns and eagerly pulled her laptop out from her backpack:
“We are all under the impression that citizen journalists don’t make much money – especially online citizen journalists. Unless you sell your content to news sites like Reporter.co.za or Ohmynews (whose pay won’t even cover the cost of your dial-up connection) you probably won’t make any money. Blogs, especially, are notoriously non-profitable.
But, wait … there have been hushed whispers and stirrings in the SA advertising world. It seems that advertisers have finally cottoned on to the fact that online media is popular and that more and more people are going online (people with money to spend that is).
I just read an article that said in the past two months aggregator site Amatomu has registered 350 000 outbound clicks to SA blogs – impressive. But, that wasn’t what caught my eye. Apparently, the company is planning to establish an advertising network that will share revenues with top blogs. Maher says that Amatomu wants to bring advertising to the blogosphere … Hmmm. Do I smell more trouble for traditional media?
An article I recently read says that Google currently has SA’s biggest market share in terms of online advertising. Its easy-to-use advertising model lets small-fry advertisers who can’t afford to place ads in big media advertise via Google on small websites and blogs. Google coughs up money every time a person clicks on an ad they are carrying. This lets bloggers make a few rands off their sites and with hundreds of thousands of registered blogs in SA, the amount of revenue generated could be HUGE. This could mean bad news for traditional media.
The bulk of traditional media’s money comes from advertising and if advertisers are going to take their money online, newspapers and magazines are in for a rough ride. This is just one more reason for traditional media organisations to tap into online media – and fast. In my opinion, if newspapers do not want to lose their advertising they need to create a website (even if it is a tad archaic), just to get their foot in the door and to hold on for dear life to their very life source. We can’t ignore the digital age any more – money is power and the power is slowly shifting.
Wake up.”
Digitella posted the entry and found herself humming the lyrics from an old song … “It’s all about the money. It’s all about the dum dum da da dad um. It’s all about the money.” Indeed it is …
Due to Cricket - Citizen Media: the Days of OUR Online Lives will not be posted for the next few weeks.
Episode 3 - The one where Digitella ends the blogger debate
The next morning Digitella got an sms from Tek to meet him in the newspaper office at lunch time. She anxiously hung around campus, wondering what his verdict would be – and when lunch time came, Digitella knocked lightly on the office door and walked in. Tek was sitting at one of the computers against the far wall and waved her over.
“Good blog,” he said, “A little wordy, but you got your point across. Well done.” Digitella smiled with relief. “Thanks. I’m still not sure its journalism though.”
Tek leant back, confidently in his chair, “Well, it might interest you to know that on Monday President Mbeki referred to bloggers as citizen journalists in a speech at the WAN Conference. Apparently he said something along the lines of “everyone owns a printing press”.”
“That doesn’t make them journalists,” Digitella replied defiantly.
“Look, if you don’t think that blogging is citizen journalism, why don’t you tell me what you think is citizen journalism – on the Web,” he said, smugly crossing his arms.
Digitella thought for a minute. “Well, when mainstream news sites like the Mail and Guardian draw on citizens for content, that would be journalism. Another possibility could be when independent news sites like Ohmynews get their content exclusively from users.”
“I still don’t see why news blogging is not journalism – its reporting and commenting on current events.”
“I just don’t like labeling it journalism,” Digitella said through clenched teeth.
“Why?” Digitella knew he was just trying to frustrate her.
It worked.
“Its just so limiting!” she cried, angrily tossing her backpack onto the desk. “There are so many possibilities for blogging that if you cage it in this western idea of what journalism is, you will lose its potentiality.” She started pacing, “I mean it provides a space for a multitude of fresh voices that highlight issues that affect citizens that mainstream media don’t pick up. It allows readers to comment on the news and become writers themselves. It also provides a space for debate, and, most of all, blogs are creative spaces to experiment.” She fell, exasperatedly into a chair.
Tek was quiet for a minute and then, he slowly swiveled his chair until he was facing her. “Do you have any idea how much time and energy you have wasted fighting this journalism/ blogging debate?”
Digitella turned to look at him, “What?”
“You know what Rosen said? He said that this debate is over. The question now isn’t whether bloggers are journalists – I mean, from our little debate we can see that blogging is sometimes journalism. What we need to do now is focus on the reality – power in the media is shifting and changing. When 9/ 11 happened – people turned to bloggers as a means of understanding what was going on. That is the reality and that is what you need to focus your pent-up aggression on.”
Digitella, sat back and sighed, “I don’t have pent-up aggression.”
Tek laughed, “Oh yes you do! Look, while its all good and well to ask questions like these, don’t get too bent out of shape over it because you are never going to reach a conclusion. There is so much else to question about citizen journalism on the Web.”
“I look forward to your next entry – and no more blogging vs. journalism. Your users are expecting more from you.”
Tune in later tonight for a special Exam week episode of Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives.
“Good blog,” he said, “A little wordy, but you got your point across. Well done.” Digitella smiled with relief. “Thanks. I’m still not sure its journalism though.”
Tek leant back, confidently in his chair, “Well, it might interest you to know that on Monday President Mbeki referred to bloggers as citizen journalists in a speech at the WAN Conference. Apparently he said something along the lines of “everyone owns a printing press”.”
“That doesn’t make them journalists,” Digitella replied defiantly.
“Look, if you don’t think that blogging is citizen journalism, why don’t you tell me what you think is citizen journalism – on the Web,” he said, smugly crossing his arms.
Digitella thought for a minute. “Well, when mainstream news sites like the Mail and Guardian draw on citizens for content, that would be journalism. Another possibility could be when independent news sites like Ohmynews get their content exclusively from users.”
“I still don’t see why news blogging is not journalism – its reporting and commenting on current events.”
“I just don’t like labeling it journalism,” Digitella said through clenched teeth.
“Why?” Digitella knew he was just trying to frustrate her.
It worked.
“Its just so limiting!” she cried, angrily tossing her backpack onto the desk. “There are so many possibilities for blogging that if you cage it in this western idea of what journalism is, you will lose its potentiality.” She started pacing, “I mean it provides a space for a multitude of fresh voices that highlight issues that affect citizens that mainstream media don’t pick up. It allows readers to comment on the news and become writers themselves. It also provides a space for debate, and, most of all, blogs are creative spaces to experiment.” She fell, exasperatedly into a chair.
Tek was quiet for a minute and then, he slowly swiveled his chair until he was facing her. “Do you have any idea how much time and energy you have wasted fighting this journalism/ blogging debate?”
Digitella turned to look at him, “What?”
“You know what Rosen said? He said that this debate is over. The question now isn’t whether bloggers are journalists – I mean, from our little debate we can see that blogging is sometimes journalism. What we need to do now is focus on the reality – power in the media is shifting and changing. When 9/ 11 happened – people turned to bloggers as a means of understanding what was going on. That is the reality and that is what you need to focus your pent-up aggression on.”
Digitella, sat back and sighed, “I don’t have pent-up aggression.”
Tek laughed, “Oh yes you do! Look, while its all good and well to ask questions like these, don’t get too bent out of shape over it because you are never going to reach a conclusion. There is so much else to question about citizen journalism on the Web.”
“I look forward to your next entry – and no more blogging vs. journalism. Your users are expecting more from you.”
Tune in later tonight for a special Exam week episode of Citizen Media: The Days of OUR Online Lives.
Sunday, 25 February 2007
600-word critical discussion of my introduction to new media and journalism studies
Over the past two weeks, our new media class has been introduced to the various facets of “new” media and journalism studies. This has been completely foreign terrain for all of us and it has been a whirlwind tour thus far. Despite the great deal of information that has been flung in our general direction, however, we have managed to obtain a general understanding of the significance of “new” media, specifically with regard to the current and future role of journalists within this digital medium.
The first significant debate that we encountered in our introduction to “new” media was the use of the word “new” when describing digitalised media. Lister (2002) interrogates the “newness” of digital media, stating that the term “new” media arises out of the modernist belief that views social progress as a direct result of technology. If one adopts this approach, one could view the development of technology and the subsequent rise of digital communication as “new”. Marshall (2004) however asserts that new forms of communication are only partially determined by their technology and are largely shaped from social and cultural conditions. It is possible to view a range of new characteristics when examining “new” media and journalism studies, such as a new way of representing the world through the creation of virtual environments, and a new relationship between media producer and audience (Lister 2002). However, one could argue that “new” media is not so much the introduction of new characteristics, but rather an improvement of more traditional mediums, described as “remediation” (Lister 2002:39). Kawamoto (2003:4) concurs with Lister's view, defining digital journalism as a “juxtaposition of old and new concepts”. “New” media do draw on traditional mediums of print, radio (audio) and television (visual) in the production and dissemination of news.
When examining the significance of “new” media and journalism studies, it is essential to highlight that the course is comprised of two facets: a practical and a theoretical facet. Both are equally significant in the pursuit of understanding and the gaining of knowledge surrounding “new” media. Lister (2002) asserts that technology cannot be separated from questions of practise, specifically with regard to how the technology is utilised and how content is generated. It is, therefore not sufficient to merely learn about the unique characteristics and practical skills of “new” media, but it is also necessary to examine “new” media from a theoretical perspective. Journalists and media workers need to obtain a greater understanding of the social, cultural, economic and historical facets of “new” media in order to fully exploit the potentiality of the medium and to do so responsibly.
An example would be the examination of the shifting power relations that has emerged with the increased popularity of “new” media. The heightened interactivity of digital media provides users with more power and agency with regard to media consumption and production, in which they possess more control and ownership than in traditional media forms (Marshall 2004). Users also have increased power in their ability to produce their own media through the use of blogs. Marshall (2004), however, questions the extent to which users are in control of “new” media practices. Described as the democratic medium, “new” media are understood to provide all people with the power over the means of production, however Marshall (2004) asserts that, much like traditional media, power and control is still concentrated in the hands of the elite minority. Users exercise their agency through the use of computer programs that have been designed by “new” media computer programmers. As a result, it is the computer programmer that determines the way people use computers and the level of interactivity and agency that users are able to access are confined to the boundaries of the program.
“New” media also needs to be critically examined with regard to the role of the journalist. Kawamoto (2003) highlights the dilemma of the journalist in the age of digital media, where anyone with access to the Internet can produce and publish news. Critical media studies may be utilised in determining the legitimate sources of news and information and discussions surrounding the integrity of journalism (Kawamoto 2003).
On the whole, the digitisation of media production has resulted in a variety of unique opportunities for the journalistic field (Lister 2002). Arguably one of the most unique opportunities of “new” media, that has already been mentioned, is its potential for interactivity between users and the media production process. The Internet has reconstructed many patterns of communication, allowing new communities to form through activities such as blogging and emailing (Marshall 12). “New” media is secondly a primarily multimedia form that is not confined to aspects of time and space like traditional media. As a result, media texts are no longer confined to a particular medium (Kawamoto 2003). One is, therefore, able to produce and access a variety of media around a single story or issue. For example, one could not only read an article, but could also listen to a live interview with an important source. Digitised information can also be disseminated at high speeds, thus enabling the production of news to be more immediate than other mediums. Updates can be made more frequently, ensuring the most current information is always available. The opportunities of “new” media also extend beyond the dissemination of news, and include the gathering of information (De Wolk 2001). Computer Assisted Research and Reporting (CARR) provide a unique opportunity for journalists to improve their quality of news gathering through the use of innovative analytical and technical tools (Kawamoto 2003).
There is still a great deal to learn about the field of “new” media and journalism studies, however the significance of our course has been highlighted through the discussion of the debate regarding the “newness” of “new” media, the prominence of the need to critically interrogate the various social, cultural, economic and political aspects of the practical application of “new” media, such as the concentration of power and the unique opportunities that digital media provides media producers and consumers.
Works Cited
De Wolk, R. (2001). Introduction to Online Journalism: Publishing News and Information. Allyn and Bacon. Boston
Kawamoto, K. (ed). (2003). Digital Journalism: emerging media and the changing horizons of journalism. Rohman and Littlefield:Lanham.
Lister, M. (2002). New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge: London.
Marshall, D. P. (2004). New Media Cultures. Oxford University Press: London.
The first significant debate that we encountered in our introduction to “new” media was the use of the word “new” when describing digitalised media. Lister (2002) interrogates the “newness” of digital media, stating that the term “new” media arises out of the modernist belief that views social progress as a direct result of technology. If one adopts this approach, one could view the development of technology and the subsequent rise of digital communication as “new”. Marshall (2004) however asserts that new forms of communication are only partially determined by their technology and are largely shaped from social and cultural conditions. It is possible to view a range of new characteristics when examining “new” media and journalism studies, such as a new way of representing the world through the creation of virtual environments, and a new relationship between media producer and audience (Lister 2002). However, one could argue that “new” media is not so much the introduction of new characteristics, but rather an improvement of more traditional mediums, described as “remediation” (Lister 2002:39). Kawamoto (2003:4) concurs with Lister's view, defining digital journalism as a “juxtaposition of old and new concepts”. “New” media do draw on traditional mediums of print, radio (audio) and television (visual) in the production and dissemination of news.
When examining the significance of “new” media and journalism studies, it is essential to highlight that the course is comprised of two facets: a practical and a theoretical facet. Both are equally significant in the pursuit of understanding and the gaining of knowledge surrounding “new” media. Lister (2002) asserts that technology cannot be separated from questions of practise, specifically with regard to how the technology is utilised and how content is generated. It is, therefore not sufficient to merely learn about the unique characteristics and practical skills of “new” media, but it is also necessary to examine “new” media from a theoretical perspective. Journalists and media workers need to obtain a greater understanding of the social, cultural, economic and historical facets of “new” media in order to fully exploit the potentiality of the medium and to do so responsibly.
An example would be the examination of the shifting power relations that has emerged with the increased popularity of “new” media. The heightened interactivity of digital media provides users with more power and agency with regard to media consumption and production, in which they possess more control and ownership than in traditional media forms (Marshall 2004). Users also have increased power in their ability to produce their own media through the use of blogs. Marshall (2004), however, questions the extent to which users are in control of “new” media practices. Described as the democratic medium, “new” media are understood to provide all people with the power over the means of production, however Marshall (2004) asserts that, much like traditional media, power and control is still concentrated in the hands of the elite minority. Users exercise their agency through the use of computer programs that have been designed by “new” media computer programmers. As a result, it is the computer programmer that determines the way people use computers and the level of interactivity and agency that users are able to access are confined to the boundaries of the program.
“New” media also needs to be critically examined with regard to the role of the journalist. Kawamoto (2003) highlights the dilemma of the journalist in the age of digital media, where anyone with access to the Internet can produce and publish news. Critical media studies may be utilised in determining the legitimate sources of news and information and discussions surrounding the integrity of journalism (Kawamoto 2003).
On the whole, the digitisation of media production has resulted in a variety of unique opportunities for the journalistic field (Lister 2002). Arguably one of the most unique opportunities of “new” media, that has already been mentioned, is its potential for interactivity between users and the media production process. The Internet has reconstructed many patterns of communication, allowing new communities to form through activities such as blogging and emailing (Marshall 12). “New” media is secondly a primarily multimedia form that is not confined to aspects of time and space like traditional media. As a result, media texts are no longer confined to a particular medium (Kawamoto 2003). One is, therefore, able to produce and access a variety of media around a single story or issue. For example, one could not only read an article, but could also listen to a live interview with an important source. Digitised information can also be disseminated at high speeds, thus enabling the production of news to be more immediate than other mediums. Updates can be made more frequently, ensuring the most current information is always available. The opportunities of “new” media also extend beyond the dissemination of news, and include the gathering of information (De Wolk 2001). Computer Assisted Research and Reporting (CARR) provide a unique opportunity for journalists to improve their quality of news gathering through the use of innovative analytical and technical tools (Kawamoto 2003).
There is still a great deal to learn about the field of “new” media and journalism studies, however the significance of our course has been highlighted through the discussion of the debate regarding the “newness” of “new” media, the prominence of the need to critically interrogate the various social, cultural, economic and political aspects of the practical application of “new” media, such as the concentration of power and the unique opportunities that digital media provides media producers and consumers.
Works Cited
De Wolk, R. (2001). Introduction to Online Journalism: Publishing News and Information. Allyn and Bacon. Boston
Kawamoto, K. (ed). (2003). Digital Journalism: emerging media and the changing horizons of journalism. Rohman and Littlefield:Lanham.
Lister, M. (2002). New Media: A Critical Introduction. Routledge: London.
Marshall, D. P. (2004). New Media Cultures. Oxford University Press: London.
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