Techno Interactivity and Participation: Pro-ams taking over?

How are participation and pro-ams (pro-amateurs) changing the way you will work and make money throughout your career?

The emergence of Web 2.0 has allowed users to not only generate content but be able to comment and have collaborative two-way communication (Flew, 2014).

This convergence from old media to new media, created a digital world that is a hive of interactivity which Flew (2014) states is kept alive with ‘active audiences’.  

It is this user-generated content that has added different pressures and obstacles in many careers especially in the journalism profession. One is the rise of citizen journalism with the general public beingable to produce content almost instantly with mobile devices and access to the internet (Agboola, 2014).  This has not only put pressure on the paid jobs for professional journalists but also demands that news be delivered 24/7, throwing the traditional news-printing time zones out of whack (Wazike, 2013).

Barnes (2012) states that citizen journalism are people who are not formally trained or have not received journalistic education but are enabled by social media and hand held devices to contribute and create news content.

There is an argument that pro-am blogs have influence on public opinion due to the perception that unlike journalists linked to major media outlets, they don’t hold back on information or their opinions (Wasike, 2013). Due to this perceived transparency people tend to trust, listen and identify with these blogs.

Breaking news stories on social media (Morejon, 2012).

This is needed dialogue however due to the lack of professional training there are ethics that escape some citizen journalists (Barnes, 2012).  More than ever there needs to be balance whereas in some citizen journalism cases, people may be bias in the information they provide or may be insensitive to the information they do share.

An example of this when graphic images of the dead are published online when their families have not yet been notified (Barnes, 2012). It is this breach in ethics and privacy that is sometimes lost with citizen journalism.  

In regards to ethics, yes, being taught and being put in practice are two different things, however when it is not taught in the first place then it can never truly be put into practice.

With this, Barnes (2012) states that this awareness of ethics and responsibility is what distinguishes the professional journalist from the pro-ams.   

Despite this, journalists should not shun the platforms used by citizen journalists such as Twitter, Facebook and other blog platforms. There needs to be that interaction and open space for conversation and opinions to gain insight on what the majority online community finds important.

Through these same platforms there is also the chance for crowdsourcing, which is establishing information from a variety of sources made available by the internet (Barnes, 2012; Flew, 2014).  It is a new techno-culture that allows the co-creation of content (Graham, 2013). This can be both positive and problematic if journalists do not establish whether the information is first off true and then newsworthy.

This interactivity has created a new sense of democracy where anyone is able to comment or have their say and opinion be heard. Anyone can be a citizen journalist (Barnes, 2012; Kaufhold, Valenzuela, & de Zúñiga, 2010).  However by anyone I mean anyone with the technology is able to disseminate information across are a widespread audience around the world.

This highlights the digital divide where there are certain geographical, incomes, education, age and ethnicity can act as a barrier to the way we use or even are able to use technology (Flew, 2014). Due to this it is important to realize that there are people who voices are still not being heard and it is up to journalists to investigate and uncover these untold stories/opinions.

For a while journalist and mainstream media were watchdogs for other major institutions such as the government. However now the bloggers are watching and keeping in check the media reporting (Kelly, 2010; Pearson & Polden, 2011). Essentially they are watching the fact checkers to make sure they are reporting the truth. This is why bloggers and independent citizen journalists are needed.

For the last point in the video below, Craig Kanalley states that we still need journalists to sift through the influx of information and check what is factual and what is purely opinion (PBS Digital Studios, 2012).

All in all, the participation enabled through digital media has created a conventional dialogue that puts positive pressure on the journalism profession. It ensures that journalists are fact-checking their sources and are managing the information to make sure the important facts are highlighted.  Citizen journalism enables crowdsourcing of information however there will be a need for professional journalism to sift through the white-noise and uncover the real news. Due to this paid journalism will be in demand to ensure that ethics are followed and facts are checked more so now and in the future.

(Morejon, 2012).

References

Agboola, A. K. (2014). The influence of new media on conventional media in Nigeria. Academic Research International, 5(4), 105-113. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1552717683?accountid=26503

Barnes, C. (2012). Citizen journalism vs. traditional journalism: A case for collaboration. Caribbean Quarterly, 58(2), 16-27,179. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1237145950?accountid=26503

Flew, T. (2014). New Media: An Introduction (4th. Ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

Graham, G., & Greenhill, A. (2013). Exploring interaction: Print and online news media synergies. Internet Research, 23(1), 89-108. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/10662241311295791

Kaufhold, K., Valenzuela, S., & de Zúñiga, H. G. (2010). Citizen journalism and democracy: how user-generated news use relates to political knowledge and participation. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 87(3), 515-529. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/819076759?accountid=26503

Morejon, R. (2012). How social media is replacing traditional journalism as a news source [infographic]. Retrieved from http://www.socialmediatoday.com/content/how-social-media-replacing-traditional-journalism-news-source-infographic

PBS Digital Studios (2012, November 15). The impact of twitter on journalism. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl9xI-kAE8A

Pearson, M. & Polden, M. (2011). Freedom of the Press. In the Journalist’s guide to media law (4^th ed.). NSW. Allen & Unwin.