Technology in Communication - Journalism

In the ever-changing technological landscape, communication workers of all stripes find themselves constantly needing to evolve the skills they need and the tools they must use to be effective in their positions. This is perhaps most evident in the field of journalism. Tools such as social media and search engines have fundamentally changed access to information, and this has created a major shift in where journalistic power is. More and more people are engaging directly with the news on websites such as Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, and these platforms have supplemented and, in many cases, supplanted traditional news outlets such as print and television. When seven-in-ten people get their news primarily from Twitter, it's easy to see how these platforms have become the new standard for Journalism (Mitchell et. al., 2022). What is a burgeoning journalist to do when the very nature of journalism is changing at such a rapid pace? In truth, the skills and practices learned in traditional journalism offer a strong base to build on when working in the new digital space. As John Steinberg puts it in an interview with The Atlantic, "There's really not old and new media, there's just how quickly are you taking what's good from the past and adding new ideas to it" (The Atlantic, 2014). By combining these skills with digital tools can lead to strong reporting that is just as factually sound while being more engaging with a wider audience. And that's the real key to success in the digital journalist world - engagement.

("How is Social Media Changing Journalism, from The Atlantic, 2014).

The first skill every burgeoning journalist should know is that engagement is the new norm when it comes to journalism. In the past, journalism was all about delivering the message and providing the facts to the audience. If tools like the internet were used for anything, it was as a secondary source of information, meant to supplement other forms of research. Now, however, social media has become a respected primary source in its own right, and many journalists turn to websites such as Twitter and Facebook to gather information for stories, especially developing ones. This is a perfectly valid way to engage with social media. For example, in May of 2010, Boston Globe media blogger Mark Leccese used a Twitter Thread as the basis of his article on a tap water ban in Boston which was met with a strong response from his audience (Kolodzy, 2012). However, the true strength of social media lies in engaging with the audience directly. Social media allows the journalist to turn a story into a conversation, one that encourages readers to directly engage with the material and share their own thoughts and angles events. Not only does this drive traffic through the news outlet, but provides a place for readers to engage with one another in a mostly safe place. Take, for example, a blog post created by CNN's Belief Blog in the wake of the tragic mass shooting in Aurora, Colorado (Batsell, 2015). Dan Gilgoff, religion editor for CNN, took to Twitter with a question, "Where was God in Aurora?" Following a period of impassioned responses from several readers, Gilgoff took the wide array of responses and used them to create his article, which was posted to CNN's Belief Blog shortly afterward. Rather than end the conversation there, however, the blog post became yet another ground for discussion, with two thousand comments coming in within the first six hours of the post's original uploading (2015). By giving readers a space to discuss this tragedy, CNN was able to offer people a place for catharsis, respectful debate, and healing all while driving massive numbers toward their platforms.

CNN Belief Blog: https://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/24/where-was-god-in-aurora-massacre/comment-page-1/

References

[The Atlantic]. (2014, August 8). How is Social Media Changing Journalism? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7esKJDZqzQ

Batsell, J. (2015). Engaged Journalism : Connecting with Digitally Empowered News Audiences. Columbia University Press.

Kolodzy, J. (2012). Practicing Convergence Journalism. Taylor & Francis. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781136222825

Mitchell, A., Shearer, E., & Stocking, G. (2022, April 28). News on twitter: Consumed by most users and trusted by many. Pew Research Center's Journalism Project. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/2021/11/15/news-on-twitter-consumed-by-most-users-and-trusted-by-many/