Does Journalism still matter to society - Essay Example

 Does Journalism still matter to society? In a world characterized by new media technologies like social media there is a growing question that relates to the relevance of journalism today. Technological change has transformed the dimensions of journalism by redefining its boundaries (O’Sullivan and Heinonen 2008). The present digital age driven by the internet and the World Wide Web has brought about new ways of journalistic workflow, content, newsroom organization, and inter- and intra-stakeholder relationships (Pavlik 2000). The presence of various communication tools has enabled information to travel faster than before thereby informing masses of audiences almost instantly. Considering the fast pace of change and emerging concepts like interactivity, democratic governance, and multimediality in journalism, it can be observed that journalism is to play an important role in the society especially due to the ubiquity and significance of new media outlets. The relevance of journalism at present stems from the shift away from traditional means of journalism and a growing trend towards citizen journalism. However, with the information overload that is an artefact of the recent technological development, journalism has taken an important place in society in both positive as well as negative ways. The rise of citizen journalism through the Internet necessitates adoption of responsibility rather than negligence. Hence, journalism still matters to the society because the advent of technology has provided various outlets for journalism to reach wider audiences despite its challenges. The arrival of new technologies and advancements in communication channels have revolutionized journalism. For one this has initiated a shift away from traditional journalism that has its roots in print media. Technological advancements in the form of the Internet have led to a decline in print circulations (O’Sullivan and Heinonen 2008; Lewis, Kaufhold and Lasorsa 2009). A significantly large readership now accesses the Web as a source of information. This is why many newspapers have expanded their presence to the Web with print versions being synchronized with the web content. The shift towards web technologies have been critical in introducing new practices to journalism that have reshaped traditional journalism (Pavlik 2000). As such, media outlets such as the social media is increasingly occupying an important place as one of the leading sources of news and information (Franklin 2012). Another implication is that a large number of users primarily use social media sources to seek information with an increasingly large amount of information being available on new media sources. This shows that traditional media has essentially declined and so has traditional journalism that emphasized print media. This has also changed the business model of journalism which relied earlier on advertising revenues resulting from sales of their print assets. Therefore, it is apparent that the nature of traditional journalism has changed especially with the demise of print media outlets and the rise of the Internet and social media. As it is, a large number of readers now access content from the web as compared to print offerings. Despite changes in the dynamics of journalism and the emergence of citizen journalism (Pavlik 2000), journalism still retains its importance for the society. A large number of consumers have online presence. In addition information is readily available over the Internet which implies that consumers are more informed than before; they are overloaded with information. Journalistic endeavors have also transformed to occupy a great composition of web media. This exposure to media content and increased awareness means that journalism has an even greater responsibility to maintain credibility. There are instances when a content goes viral on the Internet despite its legitimacy. On the Internet it is even more difficult to ensure credibility especially when regulation is almost non-existent. This issue is described by Pavlik (2000) as the distortion of information which occurs as journalists adopt electronic technologies of communication thereby compromising the quality of the content. According to Pavlik (2000) consumers do not see much difference in the credibility of online and traditional journalism, which is essentially low. Therefore, the web, while being a popular source of information may not viewed as a trustable source due to issues with the credibility of the content and citizen journalism. Jurrat (2011) has also highlighted the risks of citizen journalism whereby lack of professionalism could mean deviations from ethical journalistic practices. Therefore, the rise of the Internet and new media has had deep implications on the role of journalism in the society especially due to independent, citizen journalism that generally involves risks pertaining to content credibility. Despite this journalism greatly matters to the society in terms of social awareness as a result of the pervasive social media. The growing popularity of social media outlets and the susceptibility of citizen journalism to credibility risks necessitates the adoption of responsible journalism. As Jurrat (2011) points out the citizen journalists are rarely regulated and since they are not professional journalists there is a greater likelihood of unethical practices and yellow journalism by citizen journalists. Yellow journalism, as Campbell (2003) explains, is a negligent reporting that intends to exaggerate a story often through falsification without any regards for truth or the facts. Yellow journalism is apparent in tabloids and many other news coverage. Yellow journalism may involve little to no facts and is largely focused to draw attention. Because yellow journalism is characterized by misleading content, it is not regarded as a trustable or credible way of presenting information. Because social media and the advent of citizen reporting has already distorted the level of credibility in information available on the web, there is a need to follow ethical practices. Because journalism still matters to the society today there is need for journalism to be practiced responsibly by adopting ethical practices that reflect impartiality rather than rhetoric and biased stories (Franklin 2012). As Pavlin (2000) pointed out there is a need for journalism to establish credibility in the print and web media because most of the consumers relate it with low credibility. The fact that new media is so prevalent in the society substantiates the crucial role played by journalism in informing consumers on issues and world affairs. Therefore, with concepts like citizen journalism there should be a way to deliver impartial information to the consumers that conforms to ethical standards as opposed to yellow journalism that essentially sensationalizes information. Journalism greatly matters to the society because of new media technologies. A large number of users are now exposed to social media channels which provides them a fast way of accessing information. The changing dimensions of journalism and the incorporation of new media technologies has made journalism a central part of people’s lives that are constantly bombarded with information. While journalism on the web could have questionable credibility, it manifests certain positive aspects as well. For one, information is instantly available for users and journalism is an important force in driving collective action. It possess the strength to involve people in specific campaigns thereby demonstrating active involvement in world affairs. Journalism therefore plays an important role in democratic governance by informing citizens and creating awareness on issues that are worth consideration (Barber 2009). Journalism helps to maintain a balance of power preventing development of power centers that reduce the efficiency of the society. Hence, journalism plays a vital role in democratizing governance by keeping a watch on governmental practices and informing citizens. Journalism retains its relevance in the digital age. With advancing technology, journalism has adapted to change by adopting new practices such as blogging. Journalism remains one of the fastest ways of informing users about world affairs and other world issues. The decline of print media as compared to its recent counterpart has provided a fast channel for information dissemination. Journalism greatly matters to the society; it facilitates healthy functioning of the society by allowing the people to stay informed on world affairs that may otherwise not reach them. Journalism provides a perspective to the people through a lens that plays a seminal role in shaping people’s opinion. It defines the world view in many cases through coverage that tips on one side or the other. Nevertheless, it is an effective way of ensuring that governments are kept in check and balance. This is why journalism matters in the present world where the various outlets of media are populated by excessive coverage of a particular story. Journalism helps to provide a view of what is happening around the world. In the various sources, there may be a contradiction where the consumer can be the judge. In conclusion, journalism is crucial to maintaining a balance, creating awareness, ensuring democratic governance, and informed decision making. While journalism also has its loopholes, it can play a positive part in the society by adopting measures that build people’s trust. This is done through a strategy that disregards yellow journalism and accepts impartiality as a rule to practice journalism. The paradigms are visibly changing and in this age, responsible journalism is essential to help construct a healthy society defined by integrity. Therefore, journalism greatly contributes to the society although it should make further efforts to enhance credibility especially as new media presents challenges relating citizen journalism. References Barber, L. (2009) Why journalism matters: Lionel Barber's speech in full, Press Gazette. Available from: http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/node/43985 [Accessed 26 November 2015]. Campbell, W. (2003) Yellow journalism. Westport, Conn.: Praeger. Franklin, B. (2012) The future of journalism, Journalism Practice, 6 (5-6), pp. 595-613. DOI:10.1080/17512786.2012.714547. Jurrat, N. (2011) Mapping Digital Media. 1st ed. London: Open Society Foundation. Available from: https://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/sites/default/files/mapping-digital-media-citizen-journalism-and-internet-20110712.pdf Lewis, S., Kaufhold, K. and Lasorsa, D. (2010) Thinking about Citizen Journalism, Journalism Practice, 4 (2), pp. 163-179. DOI:10.1080/14616700903156919. O'Sullivan, J. and Heinonen, A. (2008) OLD VALUES, NEW MEDIA, Journalism Practice, 2 (3), pp. 357-371. DOI:10.1080/17512780802281081. Pavlik, J. (2000) The Impact of Technology on Journalism, Journalism Studies, 1 (2), pp. 229-237. DOI:10.1080/14616700050028226. Read More