My Assignments

HOW SOCIAL MEDIA AND CITIZEN JOURNALISM AFFECT ACT MEET THIS CHANGING TRENDS IN MASS MEDIA WORK.

GHANA INSTITUTE OF JOURNALISM

NEW MEDIA ASSIGNMENT

LECTURER: KODWO JONAS ANSON BOATENG HARRIET BLESS NDANU- AUTHOR RICHARD KWESI ADJEI AGYAPONG

SANDRA  FAUSTINA AKLIKPE- OSEI

PATRICK OFORI NKUM

RICHARD KOFI KOTOKU

INTODUCTION The question demands that we present how Citizen Journalists through the use of social media affect the activities of traditional media and how the latter is strategizing to meet the changing trend.

In our presentation, we will define social and traditional media as well as Citizen Journalism. We will then talk about the evolution of Citizen Journalism and also highlight its advantages and disadvantages. Our presentation will touch on the difference between professional and citizen journalism and move onto the relationship that exists between technology and citizen journalism.  Traditional media, their functions, challenges, and how they are strategizing to meet the changing trend will then be discussed thoroughly with relevant examples.

DEFINITION OF TERMINOLOGIES

New Media as a wide range of changes in media production, distribution, and use. It can also be seen as the future of communications. Lister (2004)

It can also be defined as the countless array of internet based sharing tools and platforms that increase and enhance the sharing of information.

In Ghana, New Media is seen as the transfer of text, photos, audio, video and information on/with the internet.

Traditional media has been used for years in the forms of advertising, sales promotions, public relations and direct marketing. It encompasses TV, radio, newspaper, magazines, books, and movies. Sparkable (2013)

Citizen Journalism on the other hand is a wide range of activities in which everyday people contribute information or commentary about news events. Singh (2013)

As a group, we see Citizen Journalism as the state where members of the public perform the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information. For example a citizen journalist writes about a town council meeting on a blog, capture eyewitness moments with a digital camera and post to a news site, grab video of something “newsy” and post to YouTube etc.

It can also be defined as the state where people formerly known as the audience employ the press tools they have in their possession to inform one another.

In other words they [Citizen Journalists] create an augment, or fact-check media on their own or in collaboration with others.

ARGUMENTS

On the evolution of Citizen Journalism, the subject matter has become more and more popular over the years especially encouraged by the current advances in technology [Web 2.0] and social media.

Some of the advantages of Citizen Journalism includes leading professional journalists to the site of the news, it also has on the spot footage and pictures of the event; pictures that society would never be able to see if it was not for a citizen who took the pictures example is the footage from the Westgate Mall in Kenya. Every bit of news counts (speed) and allows for the uploading of news and information instantaneously.

Social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and YouTube etc. allow for the uploading of any thoughts and news at any time during the day.

News and events can be discussed as soon as it happens on these sites unlike waiting until a story is aired on TV, radio.

On the disadvantages, citizen journalism lack audience, in that is if a news story is published on Facebook and Twitter, audience is limited to your friends, if posted on a blog the audience tends to be a bit greater but would never be as big as a worldwide broadcast on the television or radio.

Citizen journalists just do not have a large enough audience to make a real change in the world.

The difference between a professional and a citizen journalist [amateur] is professionalism and passion. The former knows a lot about the process [journalism,] but not the topic whereas the latter is passionate about the topic, but does not know the process.

Technology has improved greatly since traditional media was first introduced. Now current advances have made it much easier for citizens to become journalists.

Cell phones now come fully prepared for the reporting of accidents and items worth talking about. They have cameras and have social media applications installed on them that makes for editing etc. Thus making it very easy for a citizen to collect and report the news at hand.

Over the years people have subscribed to these media and constantly consumed texts from them.

The major function of the traditional media is to inform, entertain, and also influence the opinions of the audience leaving them with issues to think about. It is these functions that empower it as the fourth estate of the realm.

Due to the rise in the popularity of the internet, traditional media is facing challenges with a decline in advertising revenue as an integral weakness.

The traditional media has become less appealing to the youth since there is immediacy of news stories when it comes to the internet and everyone can be a publisher.

This poses a threat to the traditional media therefore the need to strategize to meet the changing trends.

Some media outlets have already started adapting to the trend. For example, most media houses have websites aimed at encouraging the audience to read, comment and contribute to their content.

Embracing social media leads to the improvement and growth of traditional media outlets, this allows audience to see others’ opinions and suggestions to news and information. TV3 has incorporated stories from citizen journalists into their major news bulletin in a segment dubbed “My News.”

Another example is that, some organizations have realized that YouTube is the fastest growing social media on the World Wide Web. This has encouraged them to post their information directly on the site and afterward view the comments and number of likes and dislikes.

The introduction of tickers by the traditional media has also increased the speed at which news stories are relayed to audience. Of course the use of Whatsapp, Viber and Twitter to elicit information and feedback from audiences cannot be over emphasized in the Ghanaian media today.

Media outlets like Graphic Communications Group [Daily Graphic], Ghanaweb.com and Joy FM have now developed user friendly android applications aside their new websites to take the game to citizen journalists. 

In conclusion, the media shares information with their audience and in turn air their views thus promoting democracy since audiences are allowed to participate and share their views. The quality of citizen journalism has been greatly increased and once used appropriately, will increase the quality of traditional media.

Citizen Journalists are entitled to their own opinions, through the social media; the traditional media will be aware of these opinions and improve to suit their audience.

REFERENCE

Ø  Sparkable (2013). Traditional Media. <http://www.sparkable.com/marketing/traditional-media.php>. (Updated 2013 accessed 19^th October, 2013).

Ø  Lister, M. (2009). New Media: A critical Introduction. London: Routledge.

Ø  Singh K. L. (2011). Citizen Journalism. http://www.slideshare.net/kerrylynn89/citizen-journalism-slides. (Updated 2011 accessed 19th October, 2013)