"Think globally, act locally"

"In recent years we have come to witness interesting, albeit somewhat puzzling, developments in the world of communications: the transnationalisation of of national, or even local, television...and media globalisation and localisation as concurring phenomena" (Wang & Servaes, 2000).This "media revolution" is rapidly changing the global media landscape and poses critical questions about the future of journalism (Breit, 2001).

Technological advances are the catalysts for this major global change and as a result, transnational corporations (TNCs) are gradually concentrating their media ownership (Breit, 2001). Australian conglomerates like Murdoch's News Limited and Packer's PBL are two of the key TNCs dominating the media environment.

Breit (2001, p. 217) says this concentration of ownership "is threatening the integrity of journalism." Globalisation threatens diversity in news in favour of a product that can be sold. This also means that local news is no longer produced by journalists working within a community, but operating out of larger national bureaus. We can already see this with Prime and Southern Cross Ten who present local news out of Canberra-based studios. I choose to watch NBN as often as possible, knowing they offer an entire section to local and community stories.

In an ever-changing media landscape where TNCs will continue to dominate, I think local news is more important than ever in diversifying content and keeping base with the public.


Sources:

Breit, R. (2001). Journalism in the global village, In S. Tapsall & C. Varley (Eds.), Journalism: Theory in Practice (pp. 213-231). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Wang, G. & Servaes, J. (2000). Introduction, in G. Wang, J. Servaes & A. Goonasekera, The New Communications Landscape: Demystifying Media Globalisation. London: Routledge.

Is online the end of newspapers and quality journalism? Who will pay?

The decline of newspapers in Australia and around the world can't be denied any longer. With online media and the advent of citizen journalism, the traditional hard copy newspaper seems to be dwindling by the second. Media giants like Rupert Murdoch are now pushing for people to pay for online news; a move which has received little support so far (ABC Television, 2010). So who will pay and will this be the start of quantity journalism over quality?

On April 5 this year, ABC's Media Watch produced a short documentary-style video which discusses the decline of newspapers, people's willingness to pay for online news and what options exist for the future. Host, Jonathan Holmes, interviews Chris Mitchell (Editor-in-Chief at The Australian), Marc Frons (Chief Technology Officer at The New York Times) and media commentator, Frederic Filloux. I've attached the full link below for you to view the video. It's about 13 minutes long and it's well worth watching for a balanced overview and critique.

Media Watch: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2864273.htm

One of the most interesting points was made by Filloux. He says that many people under 25 years old will not pay for quality online news because it has always been free. The only ones who will are those who are educated, affluent and elderly; in effect limiting quality journalism to a class-based system. John Hartigan, News Limited CEO, has a much more optimistic view. "I believe people will pay for content if it is original, exclusive, has authority and is relevant to our audiences" (Janda, 2009: 1).

Another interesting point raised in the video concerns the Apple ipad. Could it be the saviour of newspapers and quality journalism? Chris Mitchell believe so. He says, "The product is very satisfying in this form, you know you're getting display with pictures, you're getting layout, you're getting headlines that aren't designed for search engine optimisation but have puns and traditional journalistic values in them...I think these are pretty attractive and much more traditionally journalistic" (ABC Television, 2010).

What do you think about the ipad as the future of newspapers?

MEAA's report Life in the Clickstream: The Future of Journalism also discusses the issues associated with online news and journalism. The report comes to the conclusion that newspapers and the journalism industry will endure this changing landscape, but the key is in building sustainable partnerships across multiple media platforms. "The future news organisation must be as flexible as the technology that is transforming it" (MEAA, 2008: 37).

While it seems a grim future right now, I believe newspapers will move into the digital age by finding a balance between paying for online news while also maintaining quality.

Sources:

ABC Television. (2010). Will The Tablet Cure Newspapers' Ills? Media Watch. [http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2864273.htm] Last accessed 20 August, 2010.

Janda, M. (2009). Papers can survive digital age: News CEO. ABC News. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/07/01/2614148.htm] Last accessed: August 19, 2010.

Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA). (2008). Life in the Clickstream: The Future of Journalism. The Future of Journalism Summit Report. 1-39.

Is citizen journaliam the future?

Before this week's seminar presentations I hadn't really thought about the growing trend in citizen journalism too much. I have always been aware of its presence in the media world, but have never questioned the issues it raises for the future of journalism. Maybe this is a result of growing up in the digital age where camera phones, video recorders and the internet is simply a normal way of life? Nevertheless, the presentations this week really got me thinking; is citizen journalism the future?

It seems there is a wide school of thought, both good and bad, when it comes to citizen journalism (everyday people producing and disseminating the news). There are those who see it as having a positive impact on journalism, offering traditional journalists more variety in sources and information and a way to cover immediate news stories. Gillmor (2005: 1) notes that citizen journalism "will become a multidirectional conversation, enriching civic dialogue at the local, national and international levels" of society.

One example of citizen journalism positively influencing the media was during the London bombings. During this disaster the BBC relied on the videos and images from people at the incident who were using new media technologies to be first on scene. While this was mentioned briefly in a presentation, I wanted to post the link so people can read the full story. In this example, citizen journalism was fundamental to the BBC gaining direct and immediate coverage. Check it out at: http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=100542

On the other hand, citizen journalism poses some critical questions. In particular, does this mean an end for traditional journalists and society's need for factual reporting if anyone and everyone with an internet connection can report and dictate what is news? I have to say my answer is no. Despite its growth in society, I believe people still need the media to set the daily news agenda and to report the facts from reputable sources. It seems many theorists also agree saying that the future relies on a partnership between the two rather than excluding on or the other (Atton, 2009; Gillmor, 2005; Rosenberry & Burton, 2010). Journalists need to adapt to citizen journalism and integrate it into their practice to best accommodate to the digital age and further journalism's role as the fourth estate. "Bringing more voices into the conversation is smart from a journalistic point of view. It's also part of a survival strategy" (Gillmor, 2005: 1). I too believe this is the key to the changing terrain in journalism.

Sources
Atton, C. (2009). Alternative and Citizen Journalism, in Karin Wahl-Jorgensen & Thomas Hanitzsch (2009). The Handbook of Journalism Studies. Routledge: New York.
Gillmor, D. (2005). Where Citizens and Journalists Intersect. Nieman Reports. [http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/reportsitem.aspx?id=100559]. Last accessed: August 13, 2010.
Rosenberry, J. & Burton, St. J. (2010). Public Journalism 2.0: The Promise and Reality of a Citizen-Engaged Press. Routledge: New York.