Impact of Technology on Modern Journalism - Literature review Example

Impact of Technology on Modern Journalism Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Various Dimensions of Modern Journalism 4 Technology Integration in Modern Journalism 8 Impact of Technology in the Modern Journalism 12 Conclusion 15 References 16 Appendix 18 Interview Questionnaire 18 Introduction Journalism from the very beginning has been significantly influenced by the continuous changes in the aspects of technology. Technological advances have been inseparably connected to the ability to broadcast information since the origination of the written word. The need of journalism was felt by the people in order to share information individuals within the society which gave rise to the traditional form of journalism. Technology slowly changed the complexity of journalism and allowed distribution at a wide range at cheaper cost. The advent of technology however essentially changed journalism from expensive luxury into the printed press for the use of mass. Over the past years the technological development brought various changes in the journalism and its various dimensions. Therefore, it can be stated that the present era of digitalisation have brought a comprehensive change to journalism and to the social institution it serves. Technology is bringing innovation and new experience for the people and the society at large. With the changing trend of the people and the technological advancement people today are using numerous types of gadgets such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, and Bluetooth and communication platforms including the lately developed applications which involves social media tools like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn among others for more latest updates and information. In this regard, it can be stated that the journalism is altering frequently due to new technologies and media re-defining relationship amid the media and the common public. The new technology is reforming the fundamental aspects of the communication system in relation to the journalism. Technology has not only influenced the communication system but also the way people do their job. In the present day context, it would be unambiguous to state that new media technologies have changed the practice of journalism in major way without breaching the aspect of ethics (Kaul, 2007). The ways journalist perform their work have also changed due to the constant innovation and technological advancement. Journalists use telecommunication as the medium for conducting their activities along with internet for the interviews to be conducted via emails for greater response and data collection without misinterpretation of the information. Moreover, the speed and the writing style of the journalist have changed to a larger extent due to the integration of the technology in the journalism. The technology has major effect on every dimension in the modern journalism particularly due to the integration of the technology. Technology and the digital media are exerting a strong influence on the structure of the newsroom and also the functioning of the industry. The integration of the internet in the mass communication has made the publication of thousands of news possible in an interactive manner. Moreover the change in the journalism due to the technology is fundamentally creating a change in the relation amid the organisation, journalists, sponsors and also competitors (Pavlik, 2000). This research paper will shed light into the various aspects of technology on the modern day journalism, its dimensions and integration. The impact of the technology on the journalism will be evaluated by critically analysing pros and cons associated with the technology and its impact on journalism. In order to achieve the broad goals of the research study information will be gathered from both primary and secondary sources. Besides, structured interview questionnaire will be framed and directed to respondents including an executive a reporter and an editor. Various Dimensions of Modern Journalism There are various dimensions of journalism which gets affected due to several factors. The factors affecting the journalism are location, readership and competition which have contributed to the rapid improvement in the models of journalism and the style of writing. One of the aspects of modern journalism is the inverted pyramid style which is commonly used techniques for presenting information to audiences. This style desires objectivity and includes structuring a story so that most significant details are scheduled first for the comfort of reading for the public. In this dimension of journalism the important evidences of the story appear at the top of the lead paragraph and the other information which are not of such importance are followed in the subsequent paragraphs. This style of journalism saw its existence due to the technological advancement of telegraph. This technique due to the technological aspect was effective if the transmission failed in the mid the essential information could be shared to the people. The model of pyramid journalism can be reflected in the below Figure 1 Source: (Lared Bucket, 2012) Moreover, this form of journalism take into account the traditional readers aspect who prefer reading the few paragraphs rather than going through the total paper. Interpretive Journalism saw its existence due to major events that occurred which includes the great depression and Nazi threat towards the globalisation. At this time the people were not content with the pyramid form of writing but rather wanted more analysis and explanation regarding the scenario. In this form of journalism the people were provided with the detail analysis of the situation wherein not only the facts were exhibited but also the reporting shared the analysis and the intended consequences for the people. In 1930 the people saw a rise in the form of communication due to the advent of a new technology which is the radio as a new dimension for journalism. Broadcasting was a revolution which was introduced in the journalism as a form of modern dimension. Radio could be a mean of sharing information by broadcasting news to the people. The journalist were no longer depended on the document form of journalism but have turned into an interpreter of the news. The radio broadcasting assisted the interpretive style of journalism but created issue for the print media particularly newspaper. Commercial broadcasting was changing the form of journalism and the way the news were being shared to the people. This form was of beneficial for the few and a threat for the paper printing as the radio broadcasting was faster and effective. Moreover radio was giving rise to the interpretative form of journalism and creating a competitive edge over the other form of traditional journalism. Furthermore, the development of the technology gave rise to television which generated more competition for the newspaper. In order to get the market the newspaper industry published the article based on the opinion which was known as the op-ed pages. This page was an effective form of journalism as it featured the opinion based columns which gave rise to the interpretative journalism. Thus, people were valuing the new dimension of journalism which was broadcasting through the radio, televisions and the interpretative form of writing columns. This dimension was accepted and valued by the people than the older descriptive form. With the development of the interpretative journalism, the literary journalism saw its existence in the 1960. This style of journalism was a collective form of factual reporting along with fictional narration and was thus referred to as the new journalism. The new dimension of journalism the literary is neither the part of the formulaic reporting style nor the opinion-based analytical style. This form of journalism was an art as it conveys voice and personality to the events to highlight better form of journalism. This form of journalism had various impacts on the reporting style of the newspaper and on the industry of magazine. This dimension of the journalism influenced the other form which is the objective journalism. In this context it was observed that with the response of the literary journalists to the objective journalism other two forms of journalism saw its existence which includes the advocacy journalism along with precision journalism. The advocacy journalism was gaining popularity due to its effectiveness and the technological advancement which was giving rise to the talk show format journalism. This form of shows was effective for the people to get the proper insight regarding the situation and to provide proper highlighted issues by implementing the advocacy style of journalism. This dimension was becoming effective in the modern day journalism to reach audiences spread across the different geographical locations. Precision journalism is the one in which the principle of scientific method is required for the gathering and presenting the news to the people. This dimension of journalism has turned into a significant form due to the integration of the technology and the development of computer. With the advent of computer the precision journalism saw its existence and became popular in the modem form of journalism. The other dimensions of the journalism are the consensus and conflict which is used in the present scenario in the form of metropolitan daily. Both these forms of journalism are widespread as they have different abilities as it serves the various purposes of the people and also reaches to the mass. The different forms of journalism depict the various stages of the innovation of the technology. From the advent of the print media, radio, televisions, computer and now the digital form along with the internet. Every technological development changed the form of journalism and its approach of writing and broadcasting the news. Thus, the various dimensions replicate the fact that modern forms of journalism are effective due to the integration of the technological development. The other form of journalism which saw its existence with the development of internet is the niche newspaper. It has been propounded that “in the past, newspapers tried to be everything to every reader to gain circulation. That out dated concept does not work on the internet where readers expect expert, niche content” (Lared Bucket, 2012). All these dimensions of journalism exhibited high spirit along with passionate journalism because of the impact and integration of the technology along with the role of the media. Thus, from the analysis it can be stated that over the years journalism have evolved and have adapted the change as per altering demand of the people and due to the technological improvement (Lared Bucket, 2012). Technology Integration in Modern Journalism The integration of digital technology has undoubtedly brought sweeping changes in the field of journalism. Technology is being integrated with journalism in various ways. In this regard, the most widely visible integration can be identified in terms of widespread use of internet. The technological integration has been observed to have profound impact on the various aspects of journalism including production broadcast as well as working system of journalists. Currently it can be seen that the field of journalism is rapidly moving towards becoming more digitalised than it was ever before. It has been further ascertained that the evolution of new and innovative technologies have resulted in significant transformation n modern news room. Nonetheless, it has been argued that emergence of new communication technology has resulted in yielding considerable benefits particularly for journalistic organizations while at the same time, it has also caused few unsettling changes in the working practices. At the same time it has been observed that the evolution of computer in news room has increased the tasks of editors while eliminating some of the redundant traditional roles (Saltzis & Dickinson, 2009). The integration of broadband and wireless internet along with sophisticated mobile technology within the avenue of journalism have provided audiences with access to news as well as entertainment media on digital platform while reducing the role of traditional media. It has been argued that the improved communication technologies have added new dimensions to the creation and consumption of news journalism throughout the world. The technology has empowered the creation of news publishing spaces wherein the varied voices can engross in conversations about matters affecting daily lives. As per the views of Kaul (2013), the growth in the communication technologies have assisted the world and the journalism industry to penetrate into the market due to the availability of the internet, computer and the mobile technology. In the present day context various computerised sources are being used by the media for the faster and easy communication of the news using the various technologies. The technology was always a part of the journalism process as it can be observed from the history of the journalism. The evolution of radio brought broadcasting into existence which made the process of journalism interpretative and fast. According to views of Pavlik (2000), technology integration was useful and affected the style of the journalist while conducting interviews or forecasting the news. With the changing trend of the people towards the mass media the style of journalism is also changing. The journalist today is using the digital techniques while reporting or gathering the data from the people. The technological tools used by the journalist while collecting data from the personnel is the digital audio recorder and mobile phones to record the information to avoid any sort of misinterpretation or missing out of the information. As per the view of Pavlik (2011), information and communication technology (ICT) has offered various advantages and disadvantages on the process of journalism. The technology such as the computer and much other software development have given rise to the innovative forms of journalism and changed the way the people used to communicate in the field of journalism. The improvement of ICT have given rise to more well researched news as the process of research have become quiet easier and convenient for journalist with the integration of technology. Due to the use of the mobile phone device the people can call their news sources any time and get the well inform information which is the priority in the field of journalism. Moreover, the internet as the medium has also changed the newsroom to different heights of success and innovation. The innovative information technology is effective in the globalisation for the news to be transferred from one geographical boundary to another. The integration of the technology have made editors, reporters along with the contributor of the news closer with the help of the digital social web which helps in connecting people. Moreover, from the technological communication aspect it can be well stated that due to the technological advancement and digital media the broadcasting have become easier and clear with a standard. The news media technology development has various positives on the journalism as it has transformed the way the media house used to work. The ICT development has made the process of communication participatory as the journalist and the related people are now the part of the communication process. According to the views of O ’Sullivan (2000), the electronic media gives shape to the society as it provides information regarding different nations within fraction of seconds due to the technological expansion and progression. Television is observed as a demystifying agent that is being used by the journalism industry to reach a wider range of audiences. The technological advancement has given rise to powerful visible source for journalism with increased surveillance with the implementation of the internet for the widespread reach in the mass and for the minute details. Journalism as an information and technology industry has changed continuously due to the change in the technologies. The introduction of the technological aspect has reframed the workforce in the newsroom by following the assembly line method in order to increase the efficiency. This method changed the style of journalism into two separates part such as the conception and the execution of the work. The integration of technology expressed journalist as news gatherer and not the news writer due to the fact that telephones gave rise to the concept of ‘rewrite men’ who were appointed for the back office work. Moreover, the introduction of computerised technology further restructured the journalism industry as the computer assisted editors to edit the full page and makes the process easier for them which is ‘pagination’. The rise of the computer gave birth to the editorial floor and improved the standard of working. However ‘pagination’ in the news room was causing few problems such as the increase of workload for the editors affecting their individual tasks. With the advent of the technology the work of the editors has become more trivial than earlier as it was reflected as highly professional earlier. Moreover, the concept of the de-skilling has been eliminated from the editorial floor and the concept of re-skilling has gained importance. Videotex a new form of media was being used due to the use of telecommunication devices making the work easier and convenient for every people. As per the analysis of the history of the journalism it is noted by McKercher (2000) that journalism has become more objectivism and broader due to the technological integration and the reporters have changed from social critics, interpreter into a technical writer. With the implementation of the ICT the journalism industry will gain importance as the computer related skills makes the news more presentable due to web editing and photo imaging. Additionally photo journalist have changed their way of working due to the technological integration as they have moved out from the dark room to the newsroom with the advent of the digital cameras, image process programs along with the digital image transmitter. Also in the field of reporting, ICT have influenced the work in a better and positive manner. Due to the technologies and high end products the journalist needs to be multi skilled for instance the radio reporter must be able to use the database-driven content management system in order to provide script and which is ready to be on air. Moreover, journalist using the online news organisation is no more in need to move out of the office for the data collection. The greater speed and flexibility associated with computer technology and the internet capacity provided substantial help for the journalist in order to collect the news quickly and communicate it to the newsroom. Subsequently the press release transferred through the use of the internet of significant help for the journalist to reduce the transportation time. According to the views of International Labour Organization (2004), the advent of technology has increased the pressure on the journalist and has damaged the working condition of the industry at large due to the excessive pressure. The internet as a source of information has made the journalist overburdened with information and news to be transmitted to the mass. Moreover, the style of employment in the journalism has changed with better scope and opportunity (International Labour Organization, 2004),. Correspondingly, it can be argued that journalism has both positive and negative impact due to the integration of the technology especially the digital media. Impact of Technology in the Modern Journalism In order to acquire greater understanding regarding the impact of technology on journalism, structured interview questionnaire were framed. This interview questionnaire was directed to an executive of a leading company within the industry, a reporter of BBC and an editor of The Guardian magazine. It is worth mentioning that same set of questionnaire were distributed to the selected respondents (See appendix). The responses were collected through the help of technology which includes the e-mails and the telephonic interview. Due to the time constraints the interview was conducted over the telephone with the executive while e-mails consisting the set of questionnaire were forwarded to a reporter and an editor for acquiring their response. The structured questions were mailed to them. The responses gathered from the respondents demonstrated the various relevant impacts that the ICT have brought on the journalist and the people of the country. From the responses obtained, it was clear that the journalists were content with the advent of technology and was inclined towards the use of the technology. The respondents including the editor, reporter and executive unanimously were satisfied with the opportunities and benefits provided by the integration of technology in the field of journalism. The editor and reporter stated the fact that the technology has re-structured the process of journalism from that of the traditional model. It has been proclaimed by all the three interviewees that the competency level and the skills required have also altered with the pros and cons possess by the technologies. The responses have significance and are effective as the respondents are all in their respective profession for a long period and are associated with well reputed concerns of UK. Notably, the response from executive reflected that the expectation of the people have changed towards the journalist as people today want well written and scripted news but with accuracy without being biased. Media today are highly influential due to their presence in every corner of the world this is possible due to the use of digital technology and internet. The role of media is important as it serves the various facets of the people. The executive also firmly highlighted the role of the social media such as the Facebook and Twitter followed with other popular sites which are being used have lead towards the emergence of new form of journalism namely networked journalism. Similarly, response from the reporter and the editor reflected the role of media to share information from every corner of the world on time without failure. Due to digital technology usage in the journalism sector, the journalist is able to broadcast live coverage of any event for the people. All the three respondents have reflected that the media have made the journalism easier and have helped every people associated with it. The various journalism aspects such as the networked journalism have been the most effective form due to the organised use of internet thorough out the world. Today in the world of information and communication, the isolated journalism is argued to be losing its importance. The networked journalism is a collection of the various people opinion and their feedbacks. Thus the use of internet in information gathering and fast checking is of significance in the modern world. However, one of the journalists stated that although internet has made the process of journalism easier for the people as it is readily available any time at any place with the click on the tablets or phones. But countries which are developing and have the rural population will not be benefitted through the internet or the social media; in that case the print media will be the best available option for them. As per the responses of the respondents, it was clears that the impact of technology especially on the media company was vital as they swapped to the computer network system, paperless office along with electronic communication traffic. The journalist was of the opinion that the impact of internet was such that it transformed the inroads into newsroom and gave rise to online journalism. However, with respect to the technological aspect the ethical issues have been highlighted at large scale by all the respondents primarily due to the increase in greater distortion of data and misrepresentation. The technological integration in journalism gave rise to convergence as it is the window of prospect for the traditional form of journalism. Nonetheless, the three respondents were of the opinion that although the technology has many positives for this sector but it has also created immense pressure on the journalist and their style of working. The media and the internet have made the process of news sharing and information to a wider range at a rapid pace increasing the ethical concern for this industry. Conclusion Journalism is a wide concept which has faced various challenges and impact due to the integration of technology in the sector. The traditional form of journalism focused on the print media especially the newspaper which has limited coverage and the news were not available from every segment of population due to the lack of the technology. However with the advent of technology the process of journalism became easier and effective as the news were now well framed and accessible worldwide. The integration of technology in this sector was fast due to the changing demand of the people and the world. People were becoming more technically savvy and hence the news was now being transmitted through the use of the mobile phones and wireless connections. From the review of literature and the interview conducted it was clear that new and innovative technology has provided tremendous opportunities for the journalism industry. More importantly, the role of internet is considered to be most significant for the digitalisation of the journalism industry. It has been claimed that integration of technology has not only benefitted the industry but it has also impose certain challenges associated with ethics which need to be resolve in order to ensure utmost benefit. References International Labour Organization, 2004. The Future of Work and Quality in the Information Society: The Media, Culture, Graphical Sector. Sectoral Activities Programme, pp. 1-107. Kaul, V., 2007. Journalism in the Age of Digital Technology. Archive, pp. 59-72. Liu, C.D., 2006. De-skilling Effects on Journalists: ICTs and the Labour Process of Taiwanese Newspaper Reporters. Canadian Journal of Communication, Vol. 31, No. 3. Lared Bucket, 2012. Culture and Media. Different Styles and Models of Journalism. McKercher, C., 2000. From Newspaper Guild to Multimedia Union: A Study in Labour Convergence. Humanities Doctoral Program, pp. 1-400. O ’Sullivan, J., 2000. News Distribution via the Internet and Other New ICT Platforms. School of Communications, pp. 7-239. Pavlik, J.V., 2011. Digital Technology and Journalism. Brazilian Journalism Research, Vol. 7, No. 11, pp. 95-116. Pavlik, J., 2000. The Impact of Technology on Journalism. Journalism Studies, Vol.1, No. 2, pp. 229–237. Saltzis, K. & Dickinson, R., 2009. Inside The Changing Newsroom: Journalists’ Responses to Media Convergence. Department Of Media and Cultural Production, pp. 1-14. Appendix Interview Questionnaire 1. How long have you been in the journalism profession? 2. What do you perceive regarding the role of media today? 3. What influence does technology have on journalism today? 4. Has technology made journalism easier? Please state your opinion 5. What is the implication of ethical responsibilities on journalism due to the advent of technology? 6. What are your views regarding the process of journalism in order to make the process more ethical and sound? Read More