The Impact Of Selfie Journalism
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Selfies in the world of news and how it impacts the world of reporting.
“Mr. President, please let me take a selfie with you!” A crowd of journalists announced as they bombarded India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a photo with him. The worlds usher in a new moment where journalism and technology meet. Journalism follows trends, and the selfie fad is no different. Lately, there have been more and more journalists who use selfies as a medium to report news. This has forever changed the way news are being documented. Selfies express presence when covering a story. It suggests that the journalist is really there to cover the story. They are usually shared in the internet, though hardly printed out as selfies are usually digitally circulated. Journalists at this day and age may use selfies as evidence to prove that they have reported, which strengthens journalistic values such as honesty. With that being said, the selfie phenomenon in journalism is not without repercussions. Adopting a trend to be used professionally is not easy, and it impacts the reporting world. Selfies offer a new journalistic technique because it is a fresh idea that had not been used before. Using selfies to report will also appeal to a larger audience as it centers around the journalist more, which leads to a deeper connection with the news reported as they interact with the environment, and it is relevant to today’s technological trend.
Live reporting using selfies
Social media plays a huge and crucial factor when it comes to using selfies as a way for reporting news. Since selfies are usually shared through social media, journalists can post their selfies on social media platforms (such as Facebook or Snapchat) while live reporting. For journalists and reporters alike, it is an instant way to announce what is happening around the world while being able to convey what he or she wishes to say about this particular event. That way, it is more accessible to more viewers as more people usually read news from social media in this recent century. For example, Benny Goldstein founded SoloCam, a selfie stick that has a microphone attached so that those using are able to record and broadcast their videos easily. This invention has definitely helped journalists cut down the process of finding a crew to cover a story, because it is made so easily independent of others. There is even an application that connects the user to social media platforms, something journalists might find highly useful. Journalists nowadays often use selfies as evidence to prove that they are physically present for broadcasting, which strengthens journalistic values of objectivity. When a journalist — who sometimes doubles as a reporter — is covering a scene by themselves, it is easy for them to merely stretch their hands out and make sure that their camera is facing them in order to record whatever information they wish to convey.
It is common for selfies to be seen as widely casual and focusing too much on the journalist rather than what is really happening. After all, all it takes is a camera and a social media platform to report. One journalist may have gone too far by taking selfies throughout his trip to cover a terror attack in Paris. David Ono of ABC7 may have focused too much on himself rather than the actual scene. It was done in hopes that more people are able to know the process and the journey of a journalist covering a story, but there were far too many redundant updates on himself that it made the report annoying to the viewers. Based on reports made, Ono took more pictures of what he is doing, such as eating a simple meal, than covering the story he was assigned to. His viewers were critical and he received much criticism for doing so. Using selfies as a way for reporting is useful only if it helps the journalist show what they are covering. Though a practical way, it is wise to think twice before deciding to report through using selfies.
Keeping up with the technological industry
With the constant keeping up with modern social media platforms, journalists also have to learn how to use multiple softwares and applications to broadcast their stories. Since selfies involve using modern technology, it brings both accuracy and sensationalism to the piece of news, both of which are essential for the journalism industry to grow. Being in touch with the computer world is extremely important for a journalist because it allows them to be better equipped on how they can share their stories to more people. Research has shown that news companies have been frequently using social media to share their news stories. Mashable, a global entertainment company, posted the most number of times on Twitter compared to other news sites to share their articles. Another popular social media platform journalists are involved with is Snapchat. One reason why journalists have started using Snapchat is because they can make reporting more fun by applying face filters available within the app to entertain their audience. Snapchat videos have the limit of 10 seconds per snap, so a journalist who chooses to convey his or her story through Snapchat must be quick and to the point. This can be done to reach a younger target audience, such as teenagers or young adults, as most snapchat users are from the age of 13 to 34 (Mediakix Team,2016). Using selfies as a way to report can lead to positive results of more young people being more knowledgeable of the world around them. Since young people are more likely to use social media, journalists can easily catch their attention by merely following trends online and post news updates on the numerous platforms.
Additionally, the Snapchat filters also benefit journalists personally. If a journalist feels uncomfortable displaying their face to the world while reporting, they can use face filters to mask their identity. Some filters make them appear different from real life, which ultimately allows them to report anonymously. Journalist Yusof Omar was famous for applying Snapchat face filters on survivors of sexual abuse in India to report the growing case of rape. Because there is subject to societal stigma surrounding rape, a lot of people may have chosen to turn down the offer of sharing their experience because they are afraid of being judged if they are ever found out. Using face filters result in empowerment for those who are interviewed to share their personal experience more freely because their identities are somewhat protected.
Extent of engagement to the viewer
When reporting live, journalists try their best to make sure their viewers are hooked and well-engaged with the story they are covering. This is done in hopes that more people can be hooked to the news because there is more entertainment value to what they are reporting. Selfies definitely help journalists entertain because their faces are openly displayed to their viewers. Although they are encouraged to keep a neutral face while reporting, viewers can still see the journalists’ facial expressions and at times, body language. Based on research, we subconsciously display our feelings based on our body language. As such, one may give away that they are angry by crossing their arms or are exhausted when they are slouching. This plays an important factor because it unconsciously affects the viewers psychologically. While it may be difficult to see what is really happening in the scene itself, viewers are able to understand more on how the current situation is perceived by looking at facial expressions. More thoughts and feelings are provoked when the viewers can see how a situation is directly affecting the people there. Selfies provide the journalist more freedom to move around while covering stories without the need of a camera crew. As a result, they are more independent as it is more convenient for them to more around by themselves. This makes reporting a more personal experience for the journalist. In return, there is a deeper connection between the journalist and the viewer. Reporting using selfies on social media helps in engaging viewers because it allows them to interact with journalists by commenting.
The way the journalist takes the selfie also offers a wider perspective on how he or she chooses to view the scene. In an article called “Selfies: Witnessing and Participatory Journalism with a Point of View.”, Michael Koliska and Jessica Roberts examine how “Selfies taken and shared by a variety of people documenting the same event can provide multiple perspectives.” (5) They further argue how selfies help in the journalistic world as a “self-presentation and the presentation of visual proof of a witnessed event.” (4) Both authors find that using selfies as a new way for reporting is a form of self-expression. Journalists who use selfies to report stories can do so differently, depending on how they perceive the situation. Say there are two journalists covering the same scene. One might take a selfie with the scene in their background covering a certain specific part of the scene, while the other may choose to take a selfie in the opposite side because they think that place is more fitting through their eyes. Therefore, selfies provide journalists with multiple opportunities to engage their viewers through various angles.
Discussion
At times, selfies are not the best way for reporting live, depending on the situation. For example, if the scene is about war or an attack, the journalist might put their life in danger because the situation is life-threatening. There are also some events that might be sensitive and would not be fitting if selfies were taken. One famous incident was by Barack Obama, who was caught taking a selfie during the reception of Nelson Mandela’s funeral service. When the photo was released, it raised issues of appropriateness and ethics (Maniou and Veglis, 2016, 113). Although it did get circulated to a large number of audience, it also showed that the president was distracted from the event and did not have enough respect for the dead. Another incident was when Thomas Wieder, a correspondent reporting for a French newspaper Le Monde, snapped a selfie in the Oval Office at the White House while President Barack Obama was meeting up with Prince William. Wieder received a stern warning from the White House, which led to the ban of reporters taking selfies. With this in mind, it can be seen that context is important for journalists who want to use selfies as a way to broadcast. One should understand that some things might be too sensitive for pictures to be taken. When journalists cross that boundary, they will end up with a bad reputation all over the media for years to come.
Using selfies as a way to reach more audiences is a sure-fire way for journalists because they have been professionally trained to be in touch with the current trends in the world. Whilst being involved in the trend nowadays, they get to be more creative and explore modern techniques on how to broadcast news. However, there is an invisible, thin line for journalists when they are reporting. It becomes an issue only when they are not considerate towards the sensitivity of others and violate journalistic values. Broadcasting using selfies is an original way that should be done with caution.
