Has Technology Affected the Way Journalism Operates - Essay Example

Has technology affected the way Journalism Operates? Technology has shaped up nearly all fields of life and the field of journalism is no such exception. Effective use of language can leave a lasting impact on the audience’s minds (Edwards, 1982). Recent studies have shown how the masses take greater notice of media texts involving word play, alliteration, and onomatopoeia, with writers trying to involve as much action as they possibly can to heighten the sensitivities of the receiver (Berger, 1998). The use of expressive vocabulary builds a bridge between the provider and the receiver of the information, thus making the media text or more commonly known as journalistic viewpoint a bit much personal and more liable to create an impact. By playing on their susceptibilities, journalists can manipulate and mould the audience in any way they please. Provocative wording, catch-phrasing, and dramatizing help in tinting what should be a completely objective news report with one’s own opinion. This technique of providing ‘opinionated’ news, that is, news highlighted with the reporters own personal judgments, is a major way of swaying the beliefs and emotions of the reading public. Body language, constant stressing on certain words and using words that would naturally produce a sensation are great weapons for experienced communicators (Edwards, 1982). In the field of politics, where power depends mostly on one’s ability to sell one’s opinions, language usage is a necessary tool to master. In the society’s threshold, it holds an even significant responsibility. During the Civil Rights movement in the 1960’s, the use of periodicals to promote the viewpoints of both the black community and the white was profound. Language played an important part in the struggle for emancipation. The difference though was in the approach of the two great leaders of the African American movement, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. Where the former hoped to persuade the government to relent, Malcolm X was more vocal against white people, terming them as ‘evil’. (Levy, 1998) This battle of ideas within the Black faction itself caused great confusion to the Caucasian community. Supporters of Civil Rights themselves were not overtly sure where to stand on the issue. In the present times we see how careful maneuvering of language in the media has led to misinformation and misinterpretation of data. Words such as “crusade” and inflammatory terms such as “Islamists” only deepen the gulf between the two different theologies and rather than trying to increase understanding, this use of language does the opposite. Talking in terms of technological advancements we see that the mark was pretty evident when governments started to make use of journalism for their own motives. In 1972, the true power of journalism became obvious when the Washington Post, led by investigative reporters, managed to expose links between the Nixon government and a burglary that took place in the Democrats national headquarters. The furor that took place later, with further evidence of Nixon’s corruption being revealed, caused the resignation of the American President. Thus the role of journalists as ‘watch dogs’ is accepted by society. But this role is often taken too seriously, and the quality of the information being transmitted to the audience becomes one-sided and tinted, in many cases, with the journalists own opinion. Readers who have access to no other mode of information, or are too lazy to seek alternative sources, are often left with malformed, biased view of the event taken place. Growing awareness of political turmoil, economic instability and racial inequality through satellite and cable transmissions have changed the way the average citizen of a nation perceives the world. Thus globalization, if making the world smaller, has also developed the English language, introducing previously unknown terms into the dictionary. Concepts like apartheid, intifada, jihad and nirvana are now available to everyone. Similarly, the English language, thanks to its vast communication network, is now understood largely throughout the world. This ability of the media to transcend land boundaries as well as social and cultural limitations makes it such a powerful tool and weapon. Tool because it helps greatly in propagating a certain point of view, and a weapon for the same reason (McCullagh, 2002). Cultural barriers can be broken down, or erected all depending on the way the media is used. Terms that appear regularly in periodicals, such as, “Jihad”, “globalization” and proliferation” form a place in everyday language. People, even if unaware of their actual meaning, will be able to understand the context in which those words are used. Song lines such as “Nothing but a Hound dog”, “Smells like teen Spirit” are now cultural icons, having their own identity to the average viewer. The propagation of culture via journalism would be an important tool in promoting goodwill. Technology makes the headway in all such possibilities without a shadow of a doubt. Most importantly, understanding of one’s speaking techniques would also prove to be a great boon. In many nations for example, understatement is a vital aspect of their speech. The British, Japanese, German are often found guilty of speaking of catastrophes as ‘slight mishaps’. Comparatively, the American, Swedish and South Asian people frequently turn to hyperbole, as a means of transmitting information (Saussure, 1983). Knowledge of this would make cross cultural communication much easier; even now, thanks to print media, we see how we are able to understand cultures of different countries so much easier. Yet conversely, this has made many believe those stereotypes to be the actual representation of the community, causing unnecessary simplification of a nationality’s traits. For example, all Arabs are considered to be filthy rich wearing long white gowns, enunciating slowly and all Black Americans talk at lightening speeds and curse profusely. Average people show immense surprise sometimes at Indians not having heavy accents and over-rolling their ‘r’s’. Language in the field of journalism is carefully chosen, whether to create a shock, to horrify, to entertain, or to placate. Whereas images create the picture, words are necessary to complete the idea. An audience not only has to see, it must also be told about the benefits, the adversities, the pros and cons of whatever it is they are watching. This need is stipulated by the fact that the average adult does not wish to think beyond that idea which is transmitted to him, via the written word or the spoken word. This comparative laziness of the audience is what makes the media so very powerful. The ability to control an entire nation’s idea is a giant responsibility which intelligent and resourceful media personnel do not take lightly. This ability to not only control, but to shape an audience’s mind means that with proper manipulation of language (the concept of diplomacy and tact coming to light here) many problems could actually find themselves a solution. Instead of playing up their audience’s susceptibilities, the media should try to promote the good will and brotherhood it constantly stresses that the world needs. Technological advancements thus remain on the forefront here as well. Hence, we see how day by day the hold of the media and more specifically from the journalism perspective on the world’s mind is growing. And regularly a war of words takes place between some group and the other. This war of words is an integral part of mass communication, for until the field of journalism does not give the impression of knowing what’s best for the audience, the audience will not follow it blindly. Much has been written and said on the effect of language in the field of journalism. Many people have been protesting the liberal use of obscenities and curses in normal everyday journalism; this tolerance of the media speaks highly of the freedom of expression that the press has always enjoyed but adversely effects the audience. On the other hand, language is a key factor in depicting real life events and scenarios, and truly gives the flavor of authenticity. Thus we can safely conclude that careful manipulation of language can affect the mind of the audience. Study of the prospective audience, the situation and the information being relayed will allow journalism to control the emotions and the intelligence of the masses. (Murphy, 1998) In the end, this discussion brings to a suggestion that the journalists’ fraternity needs to understand its responsibility towards the people – for the ones they are producing their written word, stories and coverage of events. It is only when a sense of accountability comes to the fold that the journalists fully realize their role in the midst of things. The different events and situations bring to light the role that has been played by journalistic drives which have more or less marred the whole field of writing for the masses. Now is the time to realize that there is much more beyond than mere writing. It is a direct linkage between two people, one of which is the narrator himself – the journalist who is putting words into actions, emotions and feelings. More than anything else it is his word that will solicit the reader’s pertinent behaviors which will either do a service to the nation or society or completely destroy the social fabric that is present within the helm. (Willis, 1990) All said and done, journalism and technology must go hand in hand so as to benefit each other with the notion of compromise attached with the whole undertaking. It brings to light the ethical and moral issues that the field of journalism has within its reigns and these must never be violated upon when talking purely in a technological setting. Bibliography Berger, Arthur (1998). Media analysis Techniques, (2nd Edition), Thousand Oaks, CA, Sage Edwards, John R. (1982), “Language Applications and their implications among English Speakers: Social and Applied Contexts” In. Ryan, Giles & Howards (Eds), Attitudes towards language variations Levy, Peter B. (1998). “The Civil Rights Movement”. Greenwood Press McCullagh, C (2002). Media Power: A sociological Introduction. New York, Palgrave Murphy, David. (1998). “Making the Local News: Local Journalism in Context”. Routledge Saussure, Ferdinand de (1983) “A course in General Linguistics”. (R.Ham, trans) London: Ducksworth Willis, Jim. (1990). “Journalism: State of the Art”. Praeger Word Count: 1,596 Read More