Week 10: Internet and Journalism- the double edged sword

Babble: Experience

When the topic of Internet and Journalism came up during class, I was rather fascinated because I'd been a part of e-journalism during my internship in Polytechnic. During the 2011 General Elections, I took a break from covering stories and ran the Channel NewsAsia Twitter account.

The account was created to provide quick and precise news updates from the different locations and political parties. Although it was over two years ago, I could still remember the anxiety and the rapid tapping of fingers on my iPhone to release the news to followers. I sat in front of several TVs that streamed live reports, and it was both exhilarating and nerve wrecking at the same time to be the one to deliver the news firsthand.

Besides the tweeting, there were other instances of digital journalism as well. When I covered general news stories at TODAY, stories were published in both physical copies and online. 

It was very convenient because readers could access stories online if they missed out on that day's paper. Sometimes, if there were too many articles to fit them all in that day's newspaper, they could simply upload the soft news articles online. 

So how will the Internet shape the future of journalism?

News used to come from journalists running around with pens and papers at important events, and the most advanced machine they used was probably the typewriter. News only came out in newspapers the next day. The articles came with lengthy write ups and probably a picture or two, nothing more. 

Micro blogging

These days, news articles come in bite sized formats on micro blogging sites such as Twitter and Facebook. Readers can access articles immediately after they are uploaded. For important events or even breaking news, journalists can upload the information as they are watching the event unfold, much like the GE 2011 Twitter site.

As micro blogging sites are free and have great reach, it's no surprise that many news agencies have created their own accounts. Examples of such news agencies are Channel NewsAsia, TodayOnline, CNN, Al Jazeera etc.

Videos, videos, videos

As the Internet is readily accessible to many these days, we expect more creative content and visuals to spice things up. News outlets such as XINMSN and Straits Times' RazorTV have been created specifically for such purposes. These digital journalists attend concerts not only to write about them, but also to film and give viewers a better, more immersive experience instead of simply reading about it.

RazorTV's video content

Besides concerts, they also create and edit videos for soft news for latest happenings, interviews and features. Journalism has become more visual, more exciting, but there are also higher demands when it comes to hiring new blood for agencies. 

Citizen Journalism

Writing news now no longer belongs to the journalists and editors alone. With the rise of citizen journalism, the news are now in the hands of anyone- and I mean anyone. Citizen journalism is pretty much a grey area when it comes to pros and cons. For example, anyone out there that chances upon an event or happening can simply snap a few pictures and write on citizen journalism sites such as STOMP. However, whether such articles are worth reading or not is another question altogether. 

Although the Internet allows for all sorts of articles to be posted online without having to worry about the number of articles limited per day, it's inevitable that there are lots of unimportant or nonsensical articles that clutter up the citizen journalism news sites.

Okay... How is this any of our business

The comments, too, would spawn lots of crude language with the lack of moderation and anonymity on the viewers' part. 

Comments are also a perfect mining site if you want to point out anything that is wrong with our English curriculum

For better or worse?

Everything comes with both advantages and disadvantages. A great advantage of Internet playing a large role in journalism is the obvious reach and coverage we can get with our news. Egypt, for instance, had many members of the public reach out via outlets such as Twitter and Facebook to tell the world what their media is unable to: pictures of riots, bombings and protests plaguing the nation. 

Another advantage is that it greatly involves the public. Now, news is more interactive and two way. We can comment, share our views and tell others about our own experiences. There is also a higher demand for digital journalists proficient with the Internet and its tools, which gives the younger generation an edge. 

Disadvantages are also aplenty. Citizen journalism means that there is more clutter and less professional articles that we don't screen out. And with everything going digital and online, this means bad news for the print industry. Less people are picking up a copy of a newspaper. We are turning to apps, websites and micro blogs for our news articles. 

Magazines too are going on apps. High Cut, a popular magazine in South Korea, created iOS apps in an attempt to keep up with the trends. I personally have to admit that downloading the application to read the magazine is enthralling. The pictures come alive and move, much like the pictures in Harry Potter. Even certain parts of the articles are interactive, like the ability to scroll through to view different colors of a dress, etc.

A back issue with EXO on the High Cut iPad application

You can even access multiple back issues of the magazine, which makes it utterly convenient if you wish to read a previous issue. 

Like everything else: adapt or die

Like how mankind slowly learnt to adapt modern technology, the Internet and Journalism is just another phase where we have to begin adopting into our modern lives. Traditional jobs will evolve to require more skills, higher expectations of journalists will be put in place. It is simply another learning process for everyone. When it comes to anything related to the Internet, resistance is futile!