How the Internet has Changed the News

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Before the Internet, newsrooms mainly consisted of reporters and editors who relied on the conversations they had with people to get their stories. There was no such thing as cameras and recorders in the newsroom. The core of the story came from within the writer, based on questions they asked and their style of writing. Computers were simple, as were the programs on them.

Now expectations are changing for readers and viewers. Print publications have expanded their viewership to the web. A story that could be read in the paper can be found online with the exception of a short video which is often included in online stories.

The internet is killing news organisations such as newspapers and even television news shows which no longer provide the same value to customers.

The public wants the news in real-time and the internet is able to provide to viewers almost instantaneously.

The internet has slowly, but surely taken the role of “see it here first” journalism. Even 24 hour news stations (i.e. CNN, BBC) do not have the ability to show the news as it is happening anywhere in the worlds, whereas the internet does.

With the rise of the internet, and consumer demand for instant news, raises the question, “is journalism dead?” Some say the rise of the internet will be the end of journalism; but is it in fact simply the end of journalism as we know it?

Journalism has evolved through the ages, as with everything-else. It was unheard of for newspapers to be produced on a daily basis, before William Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer introduced it, instead newspapers were released over vast periods of time. Just like any change that journalism has seen in its life time, this is yet another evolution, in order for journalism to keep up with the times and meet both consumer demands and technological changes –the changes which allow anyone with a mobile phone or laptop to “create” news, so to speak.

First person accounts within moments of an event are becoming invaluable pieces of journalism. Photographs and videos, commonly taken by a mobile phone, of events as they occur are only possible if the community participates in journalism. Professional journalists must change their thinking to see the value in this kind of journalism, as it is fast growing. Journalists used to require big organisations behind them in order to produce news stories, photographs or videos, but low-cost technology has changed that.

The internet is not killing journalism, but is instead transforming it. It is simply killing an old model of providing news to people who want information. Journalism is transforming into something more interactive where the consumer can also be the producer. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but with the vast amounts of information on the internet, may leave to question where-in lies the truth of a story, and what might be false or exaggerated.

The use of social networking sites, such as Facebook or Twitter provide a glimpse of events happening around the world from the viewpoint of first-hand witnesses (such as in the case of the man who live-blogged the raid on Osama Bin Laden, without knowing). Social networking sites and news blogs, and even online news articles, allow the public to “leave a comment”, opening up journalism to a more interactive phase in its evolution.

This new phase of journalism has been growing and becoming more common over the years, and is now evolving faster than ever before. The process that happens before a story is published has also been transformed. As with the rest of the world, the web has become the “go-to point” for getting information for reporters, too. Online they are able to find a variety of perspectives and a library of available knowledge that provides the context for stories.

Universities and colleges are now integrating a multi-media section into journalism courses, in which students are taught the basics of using cameras and editing software that broadcast journalists would normally use. Students are also learning how to write for web publications and what images work better online than in print. Universities and colleges are equipping journalism students with the skills to use Adobe Photoshop, In-design and Flash in order to better equip them for journalism as we see it advancing today.

However, the fast growth on journalism on the web, does pose its threats for the more traditional media. Due to the fact that newspapers and television are unable to give to consumer needs instantly, the market for those sectors of journalism will lower tremendously with time.

Journalists are physically seeing their career paths die right before their eyes, with websites such as Newspaper Death Watch and a Google Maps project in 2008, which tracked job layoffs at newspapers, across the United States.

Yves Eudes says, “I need to know how to write or take a photo and I need to be be good at analysis. Learning how to use tools is different from saying everyone is a reporter. Anyone can make bread, but it’s lousy bread. You need to spend time like a true, professional baker to learn to make good bread.”

Professional journalists are people who have the ability to write well, edit, shoot photos or videos; they will always be needed, and major national and international organisations will most likely continue to exist and adapt to this technological age. The problem arises because many journalists see online news as a threat to “real journalism” and have little or no ability to create online news content on their own.

Though this change may be unsettling to journalists, they will need to adjust to this new era of journalism –readers’ expectations have grown, and so journalists will have to adapt too. The public expect to see more visually enticing articles on the internet, with photographs and videos.

According to Erin Walsh, the average internet reader is evaluated at an 8th grade level, and therefore shorter, more concise articles would capture an audience, as opposed to the more traditional long paragraphs, as seen in newspapers.

The internet is constantly becoming more advanced and journalists must continue to learn these new news aspects, in order to please their audience, as journalists have done in the past.

01.09.2012

 

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