“So you are going to be on TV?” — I get asked this question a lot. I usually answer with a nervous chuckle and never seem to say yes or no because…well, you never know!
It is often amusing how people automatically think the indication of a successful journalist is being on TV. Newsflash people, broadcast journalism is dying! Print is like a sick middle aged man, and digital journalism…well she is a full grown adult now.
It is no argument that digital media has changed the game of journalism. Gone are the days were Journalists had to go out to source stories, fact check through various mediums, write the story then have to go through an editor. The uprising of online journalism is shaking the table on traditional journalism. The ways by which journalists report stories is very different now. With the aid of new media, the news gathering and writing process is slightly easier and quicker. However, the competition is much higher…
Spambots, fake news and news sensationalism.
In the age of the spread of fake news by spam bots, news sensationalism and internet virility, I have learnt about the need of good journalism. With the rise of the likes of Trump, Europes’ political conundrum, the middle East / North Africa dilemma and the rest of the world being misrepresented in news story telling. There is a critical need for accurate news reporting.
In a study of the way fake news is spread, it was found that more than 122 sites were automated accounts, created to routinely spread fake news. The role of fake news is not to be undermined, with it playing a major part in the 2016 American presidential election.
I am often told that journalism is the process of quality news gathering; that journalists are the gate keepers of truth, that I as a journalist hold the responsibility in unpacking and dissecting important information to the public. My journey so far has questioned this. After looking at tens and hundreds of articles, it is safe to say that journalists these days seem to be the gatekeepers of CLICKBAIT. News has become what can quickly sell and gain traffic. Journalists know that sensationalism sells and they use this to their advantage.
Articles (especially on tabloid news papers) are mostly based on celebrity tweets / instagram posts. Readers are pulled in by shocking headlines and writers are trapped in the cycle of providing these entertaining pieces to keep their readership.
What I learnt about local newspapers — a platform for lazy or little investigative journalism.
I also learnt that most local newspapers do not bother to do much investigation before writing a story. Only elite sources are used in most stories, sources that only confirm the journalist’s agenda for that matter. Local newspapers will also go out of their way to negatively portray most local businesses. Success stories seem like a thing of the past, sensationalised and criminal stories are what are mostly on the top news segment.
The rise of citizen journalism and importance of social media in journalism.
Social media has become more than a place to share endless selfies and videos. It is has become a platform where ordinary people can tell their own stories and report on live news as they are happening. Journalists can now also source, verify and promote their stories through social media. One news agency that does this very well is Buzzfeed, their sourcing of news from viral posts and trending topics is well known on twitter.
The importance of algorithms — getting the right story to the right audience.
Digital media has changed the game. I now understand the key role algorithms play in driving traffic to articles on the internet. I could have the best story but if it isn’t being picked up by the algorithms and delivered to the right audience, my story will become stale.
Reducing the noise rather than adding to it — We need diversity in journalism now more than ever.
We must avoid the danger of the single story. Humans are complex beings and so are our stories. We need to tell stories in ways that reflect the truth rather than painting them in one big red brush. Telling the ‘other side of the story’ is important now more than ever regardless of what medium you are writing for.
