Analyse the implications of online journalism and the extent to which “we are all journalists now”, making reference to examples of both traditional broadcast journalism and citizen journalism.
Queries or issues:
Is it possible to send a version now and again to see what i can improve
How many different sources over the whole piece would be good?
Does it have to have an equal amount of research from all forms of media, book, internet, studies etc?
Can I talk to some of my friends in the journalism industry, and get their view?
Research completed:
How all news should be restricted: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tyler-mahoney/hurricane-sandy-citizen-journalism_b_2082596.html
“Journalism: A Very Short Introduction” https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0199686874/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 (i have ordered this)
The rise of citizen journalism
WIRED interview from 2004: All journalists now: https://www.wired.com/2004/08/were-all-journalists-now/
Channel 4, How we are all journalists: http://www.channel4.com/news/articles/arts_entertainment/media/we+are+all+journalists+now/596762.html
BBC, Basic’s for Journalism by a Broadcast journalist: http://www.bbc.co.uk/academy/journalism/article/art20141010155316360
The effect technology has had on journalism: https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/feb/20/what-effect-internet-on-journalism
First Thoughts from looking through these articles
I was surprised that the WIRED interview from 2004 already was stating that they feel that everyone is already a journalist. 2004 was the early stages of the internet revolution and Facebook. Twitter etc did not exist and neither did sites like Reddit which is a global source of information for many people. They seemed to predict even in this early stage that people's opinions could be easily spread. At the time it would have been personal blogs but little did they know a version of a blog would a way for millions of people to find out news of worldwide events. (probably mostly the younger audience it would be their primary way of reading news) So through reading this you can already see what a massive difference the Internet had to journalism even in 2004, people could voice their opinion and anyone could view it. The world started changing for the world of journalism at around this stage, with the rise of the Internet.
"Social Media Journalists need restricting"
In a world where a lot of us are told we should voice our opinions, this huffington post article stood out when I clicked on it. However when you read it, it does make a lot more sense. As people on social media can post and do what they want, it sometimes means graphic images get spread and people can sometimes stumble across them. This of course is an issue, of course the social media site can take down the post but by that time, hundreds of thousands of people could have seen the post which may make some feel uneasy. This can also link to "Fake News" because on social media it is so incredibly easy to say something, with no knowledge of said subject and it could be taken as gospel. Of course the phrase Fake News was not that common until Donald Trump started regularly using it. So in a world where it is so easy to put out a tweet or blog post (which could be an opinion or especially bias) how can you really tell it is legitimate, the truth and nothing but the truth.I found the BBC Academy post about tips for wannabe Twitter Journalists interesting. Here is the post from their website.
1. Why tweet if you are a journalist?
To explain your workings, tee up a great scoop or reach out for feedback and to new contacts #bestpractice
2. What should you think about before you write?
Truth or rumour? Share with colleagues first. Can I explain it clearly in <140 characters? Do I need to credit someone? #bestpractice
3. Who are your tweets aimed at?
Not just existing followers. Think trending words & hashtags & cc others with Twitter influence to help your tweets travel #bestpractice
4. What ingredients make for an effective tweet?Brevity, clear language, humour/light touch, judicious hashtag, a good pic and link (when relevant) #bestpractice
5. How short should you go?Under 100 characters if poss - tweeps and others can add their own comments to yours. Twitter agrees #bestpractice
6. What tone should you take?A ‘chatty’ tone works well but avoid lengthy arguments as they’ll be public. You can always send a DM #bestpractice
7. Should you tweet as you would broadcast?Think Radio 5 live rather than the Radio 4 18:00 #bestpractice
8. Any other style pointers?Lots of great additional advice on when, how often and what to tweet #bestpractice
9. Should someone else read your tweets before you send?Not always practical. Best to check anything controversial with a colleague first & take care before you press ‘send’ #bestpractice
10. How do you measure how effective your tweets are?RTs, favourites and positive mentions are key. Has your tweet sparked a conversation? #bestpractice
11. Retweeting and favouriting: is it always appropriate?If you have ‘BBC’ in your Twitter handle think carefully before you ‘endorse’ a tweet by RT’ing or favouriting #bestpractice
12. How can you make best use of images?Good images work; too many images = spam. Beware fake pics on breaking news #bestpractice
13. What does Twitter bring to live reporting?Live Q&As can work well but beware hashtag hijacking #bestpractice
14. How should you tweet breaking news?With **lots** of care. Double-check sources & attribute if necessary. All corrections will be public if you make a mistake #bestpractice
15. What are some of the most common pitfalls for journalists?Dull tweets - lacking in insight, colour or analysis and RTs of other journos. Think: “what would I want to know/read”? #bestpractice
16. How often should you tweet?As much as you can - and is sustainable. You can always ‘push the peddle’ when you have more to say #bestpractice
17. Private versus professional: can you do both?Yes, just don’t bring BBC into disrepute, avoid political views + those that may conflict with your role #bestpractice
18. Is there any point in being on Twitter if you don’t tweet?Twitter is a great newsgathering tool. You can search out & discover news & reach out to interviewees too. Use TweetDeck! #bestpractice
19. How can you use Twitter to engage your audience?Talk to them. Eg. Ask for contributions on a developing story and tell them you’ll feature the best ones online #bestpractice
20. What’s the best way to keep up with how fast Twitter’s changing?
Follow the right people, create lists, keep an eye on @TwitterForNews + tech sites (eg @mashable, @techcrunch and @thenextweb) #bestpractice
However, even though people who run traditional news outlets (BBC News, The Telegraph etc) try to interact with online users like they "normal" people it does sometimes not work. Even though I don't have the evidence to prove it, I have seen many times on Twitter, a situation when a traditional news outlet tries to use someone's content and they have stated very clearly that they cannot. It does feel like a little bit of a rebel to traditional media as I think a lot of younger people feel that traditional news is bad and new media like Twitter stars and popular bloggers are the best way to receive content as they may seem more authentic. However, we know this is not the case. Someone on Twitter trying to get attention could be way more likely to spread lies instead of a news outlet who has to adhere to specific guidelines.
I will read through these articles again as I am sure I have missed something but it feels like a decent start, I was worried about this unit and I still am, however finally getting started has eased a few of the nerves.
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