Digital is not always “social”

Asec Mocha Uson of the Presidential Conmunications Office has asked Press Secretary Martin Andanar to take off digital news company Rappler from the roster of accredited news media and shove it into her social media turf.

Uson seems to think that any news entity without roots in the traditional media (print, radio or television) should be placed under the category of social media.

We’re not just talking about Rappler.

Respected and award-winning news outfits like Mindanews and Bulatlat (bulatlat.com) launched years before Rappler. Other alternative news outfits like Altermidya, Kodao Productions also have strong followings.

They are alternative or independent in the sense that their coverage or business model is not based on the circulation/ratings/marketing priorities of the traditional, profit-oriented media firms. That doesn’t mean they cannot compete, quality wise. Bulatlat and Mindanews have won awards for their in-depth coverage.

Rappler is actually mainstream, in the sense that it competes with traditional media. It also has investors that, like those in older media firms, are bigwigs in business. It simply operates exclusively on digital media.

Asec Uson, digital media is not synonymous with. social media. Stop harassing Rappler.

Digital NEWS outfits are registered entities with regular editorial desks that vet reports sent in by staff correspondents.

There is clear accountability. The responsible executives are identified. There is separation of editorial, marketing, advertising and finance operations.

Many traditional and digital media platforms have social media units. Most news outfits, including the biggest traditional media companies, also crowd source some news reports.

But they vet reports of citizen journalists or advocates and treat them as news sources — unlike social media where the blogger (including members of micro-blogging sites like Facebook and Twitter) takes on various roles — reporter, editor, producer, marketing exec, optimization head.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing; that actually makes social media consortiums more nimble than formal news outfits. But it is an important distinction.

It doesn’t matter whether or not a news outfit has roots in traditional media.

It’s not also the platform that distinguishes news outfits from social media. It’s the PROCESS.