→Difficulties: added about the spread of rumors |
Reverted to revision 448962385 by Joma121193. (TW) |
||
Line 92: | Line 92: | ||
==Difficulties== |
==Difficulties== |
||
Difficulties include the problems that arise for those in the [[News media|journalism industry]]. For those who have a highly specialized position on the [[Publishing|print side of production]], their job has become obsolete. Also, the growth in digital journalism and the [[Financial crisis (2007–present)|near collapse of the economy]] has also led to [[downsizing]] for those in the industry and is making it more and more difficult to define what a journalist is, as well as what journalism in the digital realm is reliable. Since it’s becoming increasingly simple for the average person to have an impact in the news world through tools like blogs and even comments on news stories on reputable [[Online newspaper|news websites]], it becomes increasingly difficult to sift through the [[Information overload|massive amount of information]] coming in from the digital area of journalism. |
Difficulties include the problems that arise for those in the [[News media|journalism industry]]. For those who have a highly specialized position on the [[Publishing|print side of production]], their job has become obsolete. Also, the growth in digital journalism and the [[Financial crisis (2007–present)|near collapse of the economy]] has also led to [[downsizing]] for those in the industry and is making it more and more difficult to define what a journalist is, as well as what journalism in the digital realm is reliable. Since it’s becoming increasingly simple for the average person to have an impact in the news world through tools like blogs and even comments on news stories on reputable [[Online newspaper|news websites]], it becomes increasingly difficult to sift through the [[Information overload|massive amount of information]] coming in from the digital area of journalism. |
||
There is often no one regulating many of the news websites that publish current or retrospective stories. Often enough, websites will report the truth, yet at times the truth is squandered by overwhelming bias to the point where it can hardly be called truth anymore. There are also plenty of news websites that publish lies and disguise them as news. This creates the difficulty of knowing what to believe. Using the internet as your only news source often downgrades the credibility of an argument. Print newspapers and television broadcasts are held accountable by government agencies and industry standards to tell the truth or at least hold some form of journalistic standard. |
|||
Another difficulty with the internet is the proliferation of sordid activity that branches off using the web for news rather than print. When people spent their time reading newspapers or watching television rather than searching for news on the internet, they were restricted to what appears in those mediums. Advertisements on TV or in the paper are for legitimate businesses. On the internet, ads can often drift towards illegal activity. For example, the website [[Craigslist]], which basically took the place of a newspaper personal advertisement section, became an advertising ground for prostitutes. This went on for years until in 2009 the Craigslist prostitutes were targeted by a serial killer named [[Philip Markoff]]. It was the murders committed by the Craigslist killer that uncovered the online prostitution ring. |
|||
There is also often much confusion involved with digital journalism. An article online could be written about anything, even if it appears to be about something else. Often times an article that may appear to be current because of its subject matter will actually have been written months, even years, prior to the present. For instance, an article about the [[Libyan coup d'etat (1969)|revolution in Libya]] may actually be about a different revolution in Libya, not the one that took place in 2011 to oust dictator [[Moammar Qaddafi]]. For instance, the link above labeled revolution in Libya does not redirect to the 2011 revolution, but rather to the 1969 Libyan revolution. |
|||
Digital journalism also often leads to the spread of rumors. Stories with little base in actual facts can be published on the internet as completely factual. These stories can then explode as millions of people read them. Rumors, like the one that [[Al Gore]] invented the internet, grow and grow to the point where people actually believe them. This is how the line between truth and untruth becomes shady. The rumor that [[President Obama]] was born outside the United States and that he doesn't have a birth certificate gathered a lot of speed on the internet, and even now, after Obama presented his birth certificate, many people are not sure what to believe. Rumors were spread through digital journalism, and Obama, even though he is the most powerful man in the world, could do nothing to stop them. |
|||
==References== |
==References== |
||
{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
Revision as of 03:59, 9 September 2011
Digital journalism is a term used to describe journalism originating from the Internet.
Technological innovation, which previously allowed the mass distribution of news and information to large audiences, are now giving that same power to individuals. Digital journalism, with low barriers to entry provided by the Internet and computer networking technologies, as well as new writing genres, such as blogs, is creating a new media landscape for the 21st century. Freed from the necessity of large investments in distribution and production equipment, individuals and grass-roots organizations have pioneered a host of new journalistic styles and practices and also generated new communicative forms, such as YouTube and hyper-local geographically based Web sites.
History
Digital journalism can be traced back all the way to the 1970’s, when personal computers first became a reality. The first type of digital journalism, called teletext, was invented in Great Britain in 1970. Teletext is a system allowing viewers to choose which stories they wished to read. The information provided through teletext is brief yet instant, similar to the information seen in digital journalism today. The viewer can choose what he or she wishes to watch and see it immediately. The evolution of digital journalism can be traced before the advent of the Internet. In the late 1990’s, the pursuit of accurate journalism succumbed to the economic factors behind journalism. Journalists sacrificed quality by cutting investigative journalism and foreign correspondence, among other things, and saw profits grow by 20-30 percent. The lack of quality news continues today, as companies search for more marketable news stories to cover. This relates to digital journalism in that the information provided digitally is more frequently fast than reliable. Journalism on the Internet has evolved based on the expectations of society for instant information.[1]
Today, digital journalism, or citizen journalism can be seen in a variety of forms. Hyper local journalism is journalism within a very small community. Hyper local journalism, like other types of digital journalism is very convenient for the reader, and offers more information than former types of journalism. It is also free or very cheap.[2]
Overview
Critics often cite digital journalism's lack of a traditional editor to assure the accuracy of published content. The Web is however not without rules: The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) has established guidelines mandating that bloggers "disclose any freebies" they are receiving from third parties[when?]. This was done in response to a question of the integrity of product and service reviews in the online community. Also, at this point, most Web-based news organizations have their own editors.
A feature of digital journalism is its unfiltered quality. In newspapers and other print media, knowledge was based on what the editor and writer of the article wanted you to know. With digital journalism readers get to decide what is newsworthy or not. Everything and anything is out there for the world to see.[citation needed]
Digital journalism allows for connection and discussion at levels that print couldn't offer on its own. People can comment on articles and start discussion boards to discuss articles. Before the Internet, spontaneous discussion on a topic with other readers who have never met never happened. In fact, this process of discussing an article is a big portion of what makes for digital journalism. People add to the story and connect with other people who similarly want to discuss a topic.
Digital journalism's lack of a traditional "editor" has also given rise to citizen journalism. This allows anyone who wants to share something important they deem important that has happened in their community. One does not need a degree to be a citizen journalist. Some companies even use citizen journalists' information when they themselves can not access certain situations, for example, in countries where freedom of the press is limited. Ordinary people can record events happening and send it anywhere they wish, or put it on their websites for the world to see. Other media outlets can then pick up their story and run with it as they please, thus allowing them[who?] to reach audiences with information that they might not have otherwise received.
Digital journalism has also defined the road print companies have taken to catch up to the activities on the Web. Many newspapers, such as the New York Times, have been forced to create online sites to remain competitive and have taken advantage of audio, video, and text linking to remain at the top of news consumers' lists.
Digital journalism also creates an opportunity for a niche audiences, allowing people to have more options as to what to view and read. Digital journalism also opens up new ways of storytelling, through the technical components of the new medium, providing a variety of media, such as audio, video, and digital photography.
Unlike traditional journalism, where things were relatively stable, with digital journalism, it is self-evident that it will never be. With digital journalism, there will always be a new, better, faster, easier way to access information.[citation needed]
Newspapers rarely get to break a news story any more, with most websites beating the cable news channels to the punch.[citation needed] Digital journalism allows for reports to start out vague and general, and progress to a better put-together story. Newspapers and TV cable are at a disadvantage because they generally can only put together stories when an ample amount of detail and information are available. Newspapers many times have to wait for the next day, or even two days later if it is a late-breaking story, before being able to address it. Newspapers lose a lot of ground to their online counterparts, with ad revenue shifting to the Internet, and subscription to the printed paper decreasing. People are now able to find the news they want, when they want, without having to leave their homes, and in most cases, pay.
Because of this, many people have viewed digital journalism as the death of journalism.[who?] Free advertising on websites, such as Craigslist have caused people to transform how they publicize; the Internet has created a faster, cheaper way for people to get news out, thus creating the shift in ad sales from standard newspapers to the Internet.
Students now wishing to become journalists need to be familiarized with digital journalism in order to be able to contribute and develop journalism skills. Not only must a journalist analyze their audience and focus on effective communication with them, they have to be quick; news websites are able to update their stories within minutes of the news breaking.
Digital journalism represents a revolution of how news is consumed by society. Online sources are able to provide quick, efficient, accurate reporting of breaking news in a matter of seconds, providing society with a synopsis of events as they occur. Throughout the development of the event, journalists are able to feed online sources the information keeping readers up to date in mere seconds. Digital journalism does not mean the death of newspapers, but rather the evolution of how we retain our news.[citation needed] Online sources are media outlets for news happening at the moment, providing factual information, and newspapers can return to the roots of their sources, fact-check, and provide an in-depth analysis of current events.
As a reader of these new news outlet much attention must be paid to the fact that a lot of the information called news will not actually be news. With millions of people having access to producing and posting information, close attention must be paid to what is news and what is merely entertainment. Readers have to be able to differentiate between the two. Readers also have to pay attention to the writers of these articles: who the writer is, their credibility, what their credentials are. Unfiltered is good in a sense that no one can determine what news the people should be informed about, but often there a lot of nonsense posted posing as news.
For citizen journalism to be effective and successful there needs to be citizen editors, their role being to solicit other people to provide accurate information and to mediate interactivity among users.
The point of view of consumers on the news, the reader-viewers, as well as the point of view of the news creators, journalists and newscasters have all been impacted by this new media. There is now an increase in choice and variety. This is important to those who want a balanced point of view and gather all sides of a story.
The early advances that the digital age offered journalism were: faster research, easier editing, conveniences, and a faster delivery time for articles. The Internet has broadened the effect that digital age has on journalism. Because of the unimagined popularity of the Internet most people have access to add their forms of journalism to the information network. Web pages and blogs are examples of how the internet has expanded who gets to present news and important information. Individuals (who are not professional journalists) who attempt to present news through their blogs or websites are often referred to as citizen journalists. Journalists are also involved in the reconstruction of the news though the Internet. Online newspapers and interactive blogs are only a few ways that journalists incorporate the technological age.
Digital technology presents challenges to the field of journalism in several ways. At the same time it also offers a variety of opportunities for positive changes that can benefit communities like never before.
The fundamental problem that journalists must address is to create a business model that will allow journalism to continue to be a paying profession. Perhaps the answer will be something as revolutionary as moving journalism into the non-profit sector. This could benefit the public because the information that is published will no longer be profit-driven and shaped by corporate interests. In this case, the digital journalist will be able to get back to the traditional mission of journalism: to inform the public and act as a watchdog over the government and corporate monopolies. At the same time, journalists and the public will have to be wary of government censorship, which is already becoming an issue for bloggers in China and Iran, for example.
Although arriving at solutions for the future of the news industry is a complicated matter, the public has been encouraged to interact with the news differently than in the past for better or for worse. Citizen journalists are able to publish information that may not be reported otherwise, and the public has a greater opportunity to be informed. At the same time, news consumers must become Web literate and use critical thinking to evaluate the credibility of sources. Because it is possible for anyone to write articles and post them on the internet, the definition of journalist is changing.
There are great advantages with digital journalism and the new blogging evolution that people are becoming accustomed to, but just like everything else it also comes with some disadvantages. For instance, people are used to what they already know and can't always catch up quickly with the new technologies in the 21st century. Most American citizens are used to print media, but now they are forced to own computers to receive their daily news. The goals of print and digital journalism are the same although different tools are needed to function.
The other benefit to online stories is the insight that people can give. People can comment on the news stories, and interact with the writers. The writers can tell the people that comment why they feel the way they do. This interaction helps keep the writers sharp, and also can give them different points of view. This can help them in their later stories.
The interaction between the writer and consumer is new, and this can be credited to digital journalism. The fact is that there are so many ways to get your thoughts on the web. There are some disadvantages to this though, the main one being factual information. There is a pressing need for accuracy in digital journalism, and until they find a way to that they will still face some criticism.
Controversies
There has been a lot of controversy regarding the use of digital journalism and the fact that it is becoming more widely used. One major dispute is regarding the credibility of these online news websites. A digital journalism credibility study performed by The Online News Association compares the online public credibility ratings to actual media respondent credibility ratings. Looking at a variety of online media sources, the study found that overall the public saw online media as more credible as it was in actuality.[3] Another controversy involves the future of journalism and the news industry. There has begun a drastic shift from print journalism to online journalism. With the rise of digital media, there is a move from the traditional journalist to the blogger or amateur journalist.[4] Given this shift, there has been a substantial effect of digital journalism and media on the newspaper industry. It is now possible to contemplate a time in the near future when major towns will no longer have a newspaper and when magazines and network news operations will employ no more than a handful of reporters[5] Many newspapers and individual print journalists have been forced out of business because of the popularity of digital journalism.[6] The newspapers that have not been willing to be forced out of business have attempted to survive by saving money, laying off staff, shrinking the size of the publications, eliminating editions, as well partnering with other businesses to share coverage and content.[7] In 2009, one particular study was performed in newspaper newsrooms and concluded that most journalists are indeed ready to compete in a digital world and that theses journalists believe the transition from print to digital journalism in their newsroom is moving too slowly.[8] The view of the minority of journalists is to stay in the print realm of journalism, and some others even believe that they would be most productive doing both types at once. In terms of technological effects, a utopian view of this shift is that journalism would be more readily available to the audience through digital journalism. It would become a more effective means of communicating mass amounts of information. Digital journalism allows the audience to become more involved and have a stronger role with the journalist and the information. On the other hand, a dystopian view centers on the fact that print may become inefficient and not be the best way to produce mass information quickly. It also puts many print journalists out of a job and specialty, forcing them to adapt to the new technological shift.
Current Impact
In current society, human beings want to be able to access news easily and quickly. The development of digital journalism has allowed news to become more readily available. News organizations have incorporated these technologies to enable faster, accurate, and non-stop news coverage on the Internet.
Digital Journalism has become a big part of our lives locally and internationally. It has created a way for individuals to see what is going on around the world. Especially today in our ever changing world, digital journalism has kept us up to date in current events.
Effects
While digital journalism has opened many doors to getting news to everyone, it has also initiated some problems. Because news is expected to be covered at an alarming rate, it has made the job of the traditional journalist more difficult. While news sources want to reveal news as soon as possible, there is only so much accuracy one can obtain in a short amount of time. In the legacy system, there was much more time to fact-check and edit for credibility. Within the new media, digital age, we are in a cycle of immediacy.
Because of the rapid development of digital journalism, there are now many choices of news sources. There are countless news sites on the Internet, such as blogs. One of the problems; however, is that with more news sites, credibility of blogs becomes an issue. There is a give and take with blogs. Readers have to be able to decide if what they're reading is valid or not. So again, there are the disadvantages and advantages to new media.
The effects of digital journalism can be felt around the world. This form of journalism has pushed journalists to reform and evolve. Older journalists who are not tech savvy have felt the blunt force of this. In recent months, a number of older journalists have been pushed out and younger journalists brought in because of their lower cost and ability to work in advanced technology settings.
Other effects are that more people collaborate to create news in the digital journalism era. There's a lot of responses to the news from more people than ever before in the history of the world. Grassroots organizations can get our their message more easily, and the definition of journalism is changing because everyone can give their opinions.
There's a very rapid response to information and we get the news a lot faster so people can react to what's going on more quickly. When before things took a long time to be published, now there's no delay for publishing. Also information across the world is more accessible. With this new evolution of journalism, information can be transmitted and ideas can lead to new perceptions and discoveries and digital journalism can bring people together from all over the world.
Another effect of digital journalism is the heavy influence of blogging. Blogging has become a huge part of the transmitting of news and ideas across cites, states, and countries. While many blogs are highly opinionated and have a bias, they should not be completely discounted when it comes to contributing to the news.[why?] Even online news publications have blogs that are written by their affiliated journalists or other respected writers. Blogging can add a different element to a news site that may not otherwise have been there. It allows readers and journalists to be opinionated about the news and talk about it in an open environment. Blogs allow comments where some news outlets do not, due to the need to constantly monitor what is posted. By allowing comments, the reader can interact with a story instead of just absorbing the words on the screen.
Critics believe digital journalism has made it easier for individuals who are not qualified journalists to misinform the general public. Many believe that this form of journalism has created a number of sites that do not have credible information. Sites such as PerezHilton.com have been criticized for blurring the lines between journalism and opinionated writing.
Some critics also believe that newspapers should not switch to a solely internet based format, but instead keep a component of print as well as digital. News publication The Ann Arbor News, which ceased print publication in July 2009, is an example of this type of format. The News instead switched to a internet based entity, AnnArbor.com, in order to keep up with the transition from print to web.
Another concern with digital journalism is that the speed in which a story can be posted can affect the accuracy of the reporting in a way that doesn't usually happen in print journalism. Before the emergence of digital journalism the printing process took much more time, allowing for the discovery and correction of errors found.
Digital Journalism allows citizens and readers the opportunity to join in on threaded discussions relating to a news article that has been read by the public. This offers an excellent source for writers and reporters to decide what is important and what should be omitted in the future. These threads can provide useful information to writers of digital journalism so that future articles can be pruned and improved to possibly create a better article the next time around.
With a saturation of data in the online world, the Internet allows journalists and citizens more room for research and information is readily available to them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.[citation needed]
Another downfall for digital journalism is the difficulty different news outlets have finding their place on the net as well as which exact medium to utilize. Online, information can take on many different forms, such as audio, video, blogs, fully interactive sites and so on. Because the online environment is so saturated with news and sites pretending to be news, finding the proper place to match the selected communication channel or channels can be difficult.
Difficulties
Difficulties include the problems that arise for those in the journalism industry. For those who have a highly specialized position on the print side of production, their job has become obsolete. Also, the growth in digital journalism and the near collapse of the economy has also led to downsizing for those in the industry and is making it more and more difficult to define what a journalist is, as well as what journalism in the digital realm is reliable. Since it’s becoming increasingly simple for the average person to have an impact in the news world through tools like blogs and even comments on news stories on reputable news websites, it becomes increasingly difficult to sift through the massive amount of information coming in from the digital area of journalism.
References
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=dG9vHwHyDFUC&oi=fnd&pg=PA31&dq=digital+journalism+history&ots=Ij_PdBGuNf&sig=5ITr4PiO8vV7lEjKprAm93fUnPA#v=onepage&q=digital%20journalism%20history&f=false
- ^ http://journalism.about.com/od/citizenjournalism/a/hyperlocal.htm
- ^ http://www.mjbear.com/presentations/AUSTIN.ppt
- ^ http://theendofjournalism.wdfiles.com/local--files/lydiamiljan/lydia%20miljan.pdf
- ^ http://www.zcommunications.org/the-death-and-life-of-great-american-newspapers-by-john-nichols
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/Business/story?id=6973782&page=1
- ^ http://multimedia.journalism.berkeley.edu/tutorials/digital-transform/print-editions-decline/
- ^ http://www.mediamanagementcenter.org/research/lifebeyondprint.pdf