Freedom of the press for those own one (or a search engine or a social network) (original) (raw)
Social Media, Journalists, Public Relations: Trust or Distrust?
2012
Journalists today across media have access to tremendous information from which to select depending on the nature of the story being filed. Information sources vary from primary and secondary modes to the additional digital dimension. This paper aims to understand the relationship between journalists and their use of social media in India and Malaysia directly while filing their reports. It also explores if the public relations agency/corporate communication professionals on behalf of clients use the social media to interact with journalists. In this digital age, when information has become power and time is critical for journalists, is the use of social media helping them to churn out better stories in terms of sourcing information? Is social media becoming another avenue for information sourcing – be it Google, Facebook, Blogs, Twitter, Linkedin, or YouTube - beyond published information in the public domain and direct sourcing hitherto used by journalists? The paper also briefly examines whether journalists and publication houses are trying to leverage on social media to extend their reach to readers and viewers. According to a recent presentation at brand conference in Bangalore by BBC Global Marketing Head, social media is allowing a broadcast news organisation to extend its reach by leveraging content through different platforms to reach audiences based on specific requirements. Newspapers and TV channels are using social media to reach consumers on the go who need constant updates. Data was collected through informal interviews as well as a survey with communication and media practitioners in India and Malaysia to gain a better understanding on this subject. The perspectives obtained from the two countries would help communication practitioners understand the role of social media as a tool to reach journalists and help develop it as an effective medium to share messages, updates, trends, and developments besides being a useful information source.
The future of print journalism: Internet technology and the 21st Century Newspaper in Kenya.
The future of print journalism has been debated by media scholars especially during the surge of technology. Media houses have increasingly been adopting online and digital forms of newspapers. This article is a study of the history of the online and digital newspapers to establish whether they have succeeded in breaking the market in spite of digital and online forms being largely free on the internet. The aim is to trace the success and failures of the online journalism and then from a futuristic perspective give prospects for print journalism. The study relies on newspaper companies purposively selected for comparison and common trends in market growth. The value of internet technology in the development of print newspaper is assessed.
Addis Ababa University, 2015
The study aims at examining social media and journalism with particular focus on journalists’ and media outlets’ use of social media networks in the Ethiopian context. The network society, public sphere, and network(ed) journalism theoretical frameworks were used to inform the study. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were adopted for the study where survey questionnaire, interview and observation were used as specific methods for gathering the data. A survey questionnaire was administered to 145 journalists selected through a random sampling technique, whereas in-depth interview was held with 17 journalists, editors, and media managers working at three media institutions. Furthermore, an email interview was conducted with a media researcher. An observation was also carried out by the researcher for gathering firsthand information, and descriptive statistics was employed to analyze the quantitative data. The finding shows that journalists use social media for various purposes, such as for getting a new idea, to stay connected to the world, for personal and professional development; however, journalists’ use of the social media for professional purpose is marred with challenges. Their participation in discussion on social media is not as much of and they have no demarcation for personal and professional use of social media. The infamous traditional problem of journalists – self censorship, has migrated to online with journalists due to the new discourse of fear – surveillance and censorship. Hence, journalists kept silent, mainly, consuming social media contents while media outlets provide. As off line media outlets are not encouraging journalists to use social media, the journalists are forced to adopt a dual identity: one identity for the social media and one identity for the mainstream media. The study also reveals that although there were differences in the use of social media among media outlets, they were not exploiting the opportunity as they ought to have been owing to various problems. What is more, the study shows that the rise of social media is posing a serious challenge to state-owned as well as private media institutions in Ethiopia. On the basis of such findings, the study has suggested pertinent recommendations with the view to coping up with the fast changing global media landscape.
Understanding News Sharing across Social Media - Detailing distribution on Facebook and Twitter
News sharing across different social media platforms is increasingly impacting on our news habits. However, we know very little about what makes news popular in these settings. The current paper details what types of news stories are are shared the most on two social media platforms – Facebook and Twitter. By conducting a qualitative content analysis and comparing data from four Norwegian media outlets we find that editorial comment pieces about 'softer' news topics are more frequently shared than 'harder' news topics from all media outlets-except for TV2. For this latter broadcaster, the results suggest that sensational news and news regarding celebrities allows for viral effects to take place.
The_Platform_Press_Tow_Report_2017.pdf
This report is the result of ongoing research for the Platforms and Publishers research project at the Tow Center for Digital Journalism based at Columbia Journalism School. We owe our greatest thanks to all the interviewees who were very generous with their time and access, and who enabled us to gather a far greater understanding and insight into the shifting environment for publishing than we imagined would be possible at the outset of our work.
News Sources and Journalist/Source Interaction
The relationship between journalists and their sources lies at the heart of journalism practice. Journalists rely on sources to find out information and construct stories. Put simply, without sources there would be no journalism. As the name implies, a “source” in journalism refers to a source of information from which the reporter garners material to write a story. That includes documentary sources such as written reports, social media, and data dumps via websites such as WikiLeaks. It also includes individuals such as eyewitnesses to events, whistleblowers, civic officials, police, politicians, business leaders, community and advocacy groups, and the communications professionals who represent them. The relationship between the reporter and source is not static. It changes in response to the cultural, social, political, and economic environment. Significantly, it also changes in response to developments in communication technology. In the age of mass media, the distinction between journalist and source was relatively straightforward. At its most basic, the source supplied the information, and the journalist filtered and verified it and then facilitated its publication to the audience via his or her news organization. However, the arrival of digital media has seen that clear distinction between reporter and source all but dissolve. Journalists are no longer the sole primary “gatekeepers” of new information. In a hybrid media system (Chadwick, 2017) where older and newer media forms coexist, intersect, and interact, anyone with access to the Internet, including politicians, companies, NGOs, and the audience can create, curate, and publish information. In doing so, relationships between actors and the hybrid system continue to evolve as the “create, tap, or steer information flows in ways that suit their goals” and in the process “modify, enable, or disable the agency of others” (Chadwick, 2017, p. 4). As the review of literature in this article reveals, the use of these digital platforms by growing numbers of information providers is indeed modifying, enabling, and disabling journalists’ ability to perform their normative role as democratic watchdog. On the one hand, the rise of digital media is enhancing journalism practice. On the other hand, it is undermining the economic viability of journalism and challenging journalism’s traditional control over the flow of information to the public. In response to these changes, the dynamic between journalists and sources is in a state of flux. While the traditional journalist-source relationship still exists, it has become an optional relationship whereby sources can either “opt-in” or “opt-out” depending on the audience they need to reach. Via discussion of key literature, this article provides an overview of the history of the reporter-source relationship in the age of mass media. It then examines the impact of the rise of digital media on journalist-source relations, followed by critical reflections on the changing nature of this pivotal relationship and future directions for research.
Review of the Press in India (2008 - 2012)
T he Press in India is very dynamic. Though the principles and core values of the Press remain the same, it is changing very fast with subsequent changes in the society. Another major factor inducing changes is fast developing media technology. We need to asses these changes with regular intervals. The Press Council of India conducted such an exercise in 2007. The institute adopted a report 'State of Newspaper Scene- 2007', prepared by Centre for Media Studies on July 14, 2008. Since then there have been rapid changes in media not only in India but all over the world. Economic slowdown around 2008 was a major shock for world economy and also to the world media sector. World is still recovering from this economic crisis. On the other hand, development and spread of social media networks, mobile based internet applications, and advent of Tablets are radically changing all aspects of human communication. The period witnessed decline of circulation in major newspapers in the developed markets in North America and Europe. But in Asia-Pacific region, newspaper industry is still vibrant. India, China and some other countries have registered growth in circulation and also in advertisement revenues. Newspaper industry in these countries has become more competitive. New experiments in the media sector are being carried out. World is watching these developments curiously. With this background it is appropriate to review the status of Indian Press. As a watchdog of and for the press the Press Council of India conducted this timely exercise. Scope & Limitations This study is restricted to five year period between 2008 and 2012. We tried to identify major trends and issues in Indian Press during this period. But some trends like ethics, technology, content development, etc. may transcend such time limits. Analysis of such trends is given to enhance understanding and to present holistic perspective of the Indian Press. This study is based on literature review and compilation of information from primary databases related to the Indian Press. Secondary data like research articles, newspaper stories is also used where found relevant. Sources are properly attributed in the report. If by mistake or oversight, any such information is found to be not attributed, we are ready to rectify it. No survey or extensive content analysis has been done for the study. Media educators, research scholars and working journalists have contributed in this study.