The Newsroom of the Future: Restructuring the Journalism Community

The traditional newsroom is a prominent aspect of journalism and one that has often been stereotyped. A newsroom was previously envisioned as simple, crowded offices occupied by journalists typing away on computers and phoning sources for interviews. Writers more commonly collaborated with coworkers in order to incorporate different forms of media into their work, such as vision and sound. Journalists rarely relied on members of the public to develop story ideas for them to regurgitate nor did they work closely alongside them to enhance a story. This picture has changed dramatically, as the newsroom is no longer the hub of journalism. Many journalists now take to the streets to find stories and many writers must now either broaden their individual skillset or work more closely with citizens to ensure their story incorporates aspects of new media. This increased emphasis on media rich stories is a direct result of diffusion of innovations and convergence. The conventional newsroom, where the most advanced piece of technology was the computer, has changed drastically, as we are now starting to see more open spaces with large screens and other new forms of technology present and accessible to all journalists (Millers Younger, 2011).

The newsroom of the future. 

Not only has the workplace and the community undergone significant changes, so too has the journalist. A journalist was traditionally only employed to report news on one platform, whether that be television, radio or print; now, many journalists are expected to be multi-talented and capable of presenting news on several platforms (Kolodzy, 2006, page 10). Newsrooms have been altered to incorporate these changes, as the KPBS newsroom in San Diego, California, allows for it’s journalists to create stories for numerous platforms at the one work station, instead of having separate areas designated to particular forms of media (Millers Younger, 2011).

Flew (2008) claims that publications need to embrace participatory media and allow for citizens to take part in the reporting process, however he said that many organisations failed to embody this (p. 109). This opinion is now incredibly outdated, as a majority of publications have embraced the concept of citizen journalism and now encourage alternative ways of gathering and reporting news (Kolodzy, 2006, page vii). The way journalists interact in the community has changed significantly, as they are no longer the only ones who are able to investigate and report news, as ordinary, often uneducated citizens can now also take part in the process (Kolodzy, 2006, page 1).

As I consider my impending graduation and the realization that I will soon be working in the professional journalism community, I am aware that I will have to consider all forms of new media as ways of finding innovative story ideas and I will have to utilize all the skills I have been taught throughout my studies in order to become the multi-talented journalist now desired by a majority of news organisations. I believe that in the not-so-distant future the journalism newsroom will be transformed to incorporate all forms of media and although more journalists may start to work individually rather than with their colleagues, I believe that the workplace will become more open, and this will encourage bigger and better ideas.

I predict an increase in ‘backpack’ journalism in the future, which will mean that many journalists will work independently, yet they will be expected to consider all new media platforms. Dr Claire Wardle, a journalist for the BBC, said: “Now, every day on the hub there’s a core team out on Flickr and Twitter looking for news stories, going to where the conversation is taking place rather than waiting for it to come to them” (Hartley, 2009).  I believe that I will not frequently interact with fellow journalists once I enter the workforce; instead I will need to consider the public and their opinions, as they have become an integral part of the journalism practice.

Flew’s (2008) viewpoint is now out of date, as he discusses the rise of citizen journalism and how some organisations have started to realise it’s impact and potential. Yet the reality now is that participatory media and citizen journalism have well and truly formed and found their place in society. The textbook should be updated to reflect the fact that the journalism industry and journalists themselves have changed significantly and mass amounts of people are now actively participating in the news process. Flew needs to discuss certain events that have took place over the past few years which have showcased how much the role of journalists has changed, such as the London Riots and the Arab Spring. 

References: 

- Flew, T. (2008). New Media: an introduction. (3^rd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford Univeristy Press.

- Hartley, S. (2009). Future of Journalism Conference: The newsroom view of user content. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/pda/2009/sep/09/journalists-ugc-attitudes

- Kolodzy, J. (2006). Convergence Journalism: Writing and Reporting Across the News Media. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield.

- Millers Younger, S. (2011). Newsroom of the Future. Retrieved March 17, 2012, from http://newscenter.sdsu.edu/360/news.aspx?s=73214

Citizen Journalism: Something Old, Something New.

Over the past several years we have witnessed the progression from traditional journalism, to an innovative form, which has completely changed the roots of orthodox journalism as we know it. This new development is known as Citizen Journalism. The term is described as, ‘the act of a citizen, or group of citizens, playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting, analyzing and disseminating news and information (Flew, 2008, p. 144).” Although we have not yet seen the complete demise of the traditional journalist and it is unlikely that this will ever occur, citizen participation has dramatically increased in the past few years in particular. Events like the London Riots, the Arab Spring and the Japan tsunami, have influenced a huge increase in citizen reporting (Citizen journalism of 2011 to 2012, 2011), as many believe it is the witnesses who are able to give the most effective coverage of an event (Linsell, 2011). Following the Japan tsunami in March 2011, YouTube created a news and politics blog, called CitizenTube, which allows citizens to upload raw videos, which are then often used by major news networks (Ross, 2011).

Prior to the introduction of citizen journalism, it was thought that only professional journalists could be relied upon to investigative newsworthy issues and report them to the public. In his paper, ‘Putting Citizens Back into Journalism,’ Cherian George says the role of the traditional journalist is, “to serve the public’s need [and] to make sense of complexity and change.” However, many now believe that journalists have become too distracted by money and shareholder value, which has allowed for advertisers to decide what should be reported and why. George says, “Serving citizens’ information needs has become secondary to serving the market’s needs to stimulate consumption” (George, 2009).  

With the presence of free publishing through popular mediums like blogs, the public is not only able to have their own opinion; they’ve now been given the equipment to accumulate mass audiences. George says, “Conscientious journalists want to serve the public interest, but the painful truth is that the public is not particularly interested in being served” (George, 2009). Citizens now have the ability to witness an event and report it themselves, instead of relying on others who may not have the public’s best interest at heart; therefore it seems only natural that they are relishing this newfound sense of power. Not only are citizen journalists able to report stories and share their opinions via blogs, many news organisations encourage the public to submit story ideas, photos and videos. In Australia, organisations like Crikey, New Matilda and On Line Opinion encourage alternative ways of reporting the news (Flew, 2008, p. 144). As mentioned earlier, major events from the past year, like the London Riots, presented the opportunity for mass amounts of citizen journalism. Many believe that traditional media couldn’t keep up with the fast-moving riots, however citizen journalists did an adequate job of informing the public from the true heart of the commotion (Aira, 2011).

Although many support the development of citizen journalism, there are also those who believe it is heavily flawed. Many journalists, educators and other professionals have criticized citizen journalists, particularly those who voice their thoughts through blogs. In his paper, ‘Citizen Journalism is not professional journalism,’ Fred Brown says, “Blogs have gained favour because people are looking for information they can agree with.” He goes on to say that the problem with traditional journalism is that the public don’t trust journalists, as they think they that they don’t present information accurately (Brown, 2005). Statistics from Technorati show that 46 per cent of bloggers and blog readers trust traditional media less than they did five years ago and 35 per cent believe that blogs are taken more seriously (Schwartzman, 2011). However, Brown says that the problem with citizen journalism is that, “A professional journalist’s No.1 obligation is to be accurate. A citizen journalist’s No.1 obligation is to be interesting. A professional journalist has layers of editor’s checking his facts. A citizen journalist is usually a lone crusader” (Brown, 2005). Many argue that citizen journalists should not be taken seriously as they have not been professionally trained. Morley Safer, a long-serving 60 minutes presenter said, “I would trust citizen journalists as much as I would trust citizen surgery” (Andrews, 2009), whilst Cherian George professed, “citizen journalists are not trained journalists and may therefore lack the skills and ethics to be worthy of the name … I do not see how we can call it ‘journalism’ any more than we would the conversations on a bus” (George, 2009).  

Ian Hargreaves, a British journalist and editor said, “In a democracy, everyone is a journalist. This is because, in a democracy, everyone has the right to communicate a fact or a point of view, however trivial, however hideous” (Flew, 2008, p. 165). In the past, only traditional journalists were equipped to report the news to the public, now, anyone with a camera and a computer can investigative an issue and describe it to their peers. When the fifteen-metre tsunami hit Japan on the 11^th of March, 2011, news organisations from across the world scrambled to capture footage of the event. However, it was the witnesses and residents of Sendai who were first on the scene and therefore able to give the most useful documentation of the disaster (Linsell, 2011). Citizen journalism has provided us with a second opinion and detailed account of many monumental moments in our history in recent years. Although it does have its flaws, it seems that we must either accept it and work to improve it or continue to watch journalism remain in limbo. 

Amateur footage of the Japan tsunami. 

References: 

- Aira, C. (2011). Smartphone-Armed Citizens Chronicle London Riots Violence. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://siliconangle.com/blog/2011/08/09/smartphone-armed-citizens-chronicle-london-riots-violence/

- Andrews, P. (2009). Citizen journalism and its perils. The Guelph Mercury, September 12, 2009. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/pqdlink?did=1857883461&Fmt=2&rqt=309

- Brown, F. (2005). ‘Citizen journalism is not professional journalism. The Quill, 93 (6), 42. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/pqdlink?vinst=PROD&fmt=6&startpage=-1&vname=PQD&RQT=309&did=881418001&scaling=FULL&vtype=PQD&rqt=309&TS=1330748440&clientId=21143

- Citizen journalism of 2011 to 2012. (2011). Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://www.newsmeback.com/blog/personal-opinion/citizen-journalism-of-2011-to-2012/

- Flew, T. (2008). New media: an introduction. (3^rd ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press.

- George, C. (2009). Putting Citizens Back into Journalism. Media Asia, 36 (1), 12-13. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/pqdlink?vinst=PROD&fmt=6&startpage=-1&vname=PQD&did=1909436571&scaling=FULL&vtype=PQD&rqt=309&TS=1330745378&clientId=21143

- Linsell, K. (2011). Citizen journalism captures horrors of Japanese tsunami. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://bottomupmedia.wordpress.com/2011/03/19/citizen-journalism-captures-horrors-of-japanese-tsunami/

- Ross, R. (2011). Three Lessons Learned From Citizen Journalists Covering the Japanese Earthquake. Retrieved March 6, 2012, from http://ronrosstoday.com/?p=384

- Schwartzman, E. (2011). Blogging Stats Preview from Technorati. Retrieved March 3, 2012, from http://socialmediatoday.com/347064/blogging-stats-preview-technorati

Journalism and Transmedia Storytelling

When you consider the changing face of journalism and the concept of transmedia storytelling, it seems like the two are an ideal match. Jenkins states that transmedia storytelling is, “a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story” (Jenkins, 2010). With the decline of print journalism and the increase in media convergence, this idea of telling stories through multiple platforms and having unique content on each one, appears to be the answer media owners and journalists have been looking for.

Transmedia storytelling is a relatively new and exciting concept that is considered to be the “ultimate 360 approach to storytelling –360content, 360platforms and with the potential for the full 360experience.” Alison Norrington, a novelist and Ph.D researcher says, “Its success relies on fragmenting a narrative and making each platform do what it does best which, in turn, extends the life and longevity of the story” (Norrington, 2010). Telling stories through numerous media platforms has worked successfully for the film industry, as The Matrix for example, has conveyed information to audiences through three films, a series of animated shorts, comic books and multiple video games (Jenkins, 2010).

Many publications have already tried the basics of transmedia storytelling by enabling audiences to read their stories via various platforms such as print and online (Ford, 2007). Numerous publications also now offer different parts of their articles on different platforms, for example, you might read an article online and then be directed to the print version in order to read the entire story. However, publications have not fully embraced transmedia storytelling by completely fragmenting their stories and using different platforms to deliver separate parts of the story in order to give the narrative longevity. A news article written by a journalist is usually only read once, whereas a story that is initially presented in a film and is then conveyed through books and video games has a much longer life cycle and is more favoured by audiences (Jenkins, 2010). Perhaps this is why journalism is suffering.

Kevin Maloney, a veteran journalist and journalism educator, says journalism has always been constrained, whether this has been by the inverted pyramid writing style or the 30-second broadcast time limit. Although he says this can have positive effects on the journalist, as it can help them become a better and more concise writer, Maloney supports transmedia storytelling (Maloney, 2011). In Maloney’s case study, ‘Porting transmedia storytelling to journalism,’ he says, “to reach the public with a story we journalists see as important or compelling means that we must find the public where it already dwells. There we must engage readers so that they are more likely to pay attention to the story, share it, interact with it, contribute to it and understand its complexities” (Maloney, 2012).

In order for transmedia storytelling and journalism to be a success, the story would need to be designed this way from the beginning. Maloney says, “Editor’s must consider what media are available to them and how the individual strengths of those media can be used to the story’s advantage.” He says organisations would need to use popular platforms like Youtube and public TV to broadcast parts of their stories in order for readers to find them and he says there are certain stories that would be more suitable for transmedia storytelling rather than others. For example, he says short, daily news stories about a crime or a disaster from the day before may unfold too quickly, however investigative pieces that take longer to progress would be more suitable (Maloney, 2012).

One of the primary roles of a journalist is to tell stories. It is up to the journalist to find a newsworthy idea, investigate it and then report it to the public (Journalism: Wikipedia). A successful story is one that has a long-term impact on the reader; most news stories do not have this effect. The face of journalism is rapidly changing as we know it. We are experiencing a decline in print media as readers can access the same stories in newspapers or magazines as they can via the Internet; the problem is that no content is unique. Transmedia storytelling is the perfect solution to this issue, as this would mean that journalists could assemble their stories so that different parts of the narrative could be presented on different platforms, however they all could contribute something valuable to the story and more importantly, engage readers like never before (Holubowicz, 2011). “[A] transmedia approach to reporting is not about the technology, or the platform, or the cost-cutting measures - it's about the story and how best to report that story” (Ford, 2007).  

References: 

Ford, S. (2007). Transmedia Journalism: A Story-Based Approach to Convergence. Retrieved February 19, 2012, from http://www.convergenceculture.org/weblog/2007/04/transmedia_journalism_a_storyb.php

Holubowicz, G. (2011). Introduction to Editorial transmedia, why we need to move forward? Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://www.o2creation.org/2011/03/08/introduction-to-editorial-transmedia-why-we-need-to-move-forward/

Jenkins, H. (2010). Confessions of an Aca/Fan: Transmedia Storytelling 101. Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html

Journalism. (n.d.). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Journalism

Maloney, K. (2011). Porting Transmedia Storytelling to Journalism (Thesis). Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://proquest.umi.com.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/pqdlink?vinst=PROD&fmt=6&startpage=-1&vname=PQD&RQT=309&did=2510689501&scaling=FULL&vtype=PQD&rqt=309&TS=1329545833&clientId=21143

Maloney, K. (2012). Transmedia Journalism. Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://transmediajournalism.wordpress.com/

Norrington, Alison. (2010). Transmedia Storytelling – What’s it all about?  Retrieved February 18, 2012, from http://futurebook.net/content/transmedia-storytelling-–-what’s-it-all-about

Journalism and Convergence

In this technology driven and dependent age, journalism of all professions has arguably been most affected by convergence. Jenkins (2010) states that convergence is, “The flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behavior of media audiences who would go almost anywhere in search of the kinds of entertainment experiences they wanted.” Prior to the introduction of computers and the Internet, print forms of media like newspapers and magazines were most popular. Now, with the presence of convenient and transportable devices like mobile phones, laptops and tablets, media is converging, which has lead to a slow decline in print journalism.

This may seem like old news, as for over the past few years the decline of print journalism has been extremely prevalent in our society. The statement ‘old news’ is part of the reason why convergence is affecting traditional journalism. As Jenkins (2010) stated, audiences will go almost anywhere to find the information and entertainment they need and want, which is part of the problem. In the past, audiences could only read the news by buying a newspaper, now; there are several, often easier ways one can find out what’s happening in the world around them (Bird, 2010).

When deciding who is responsible for this convergence, all fingers point to the audience. Internet usage has grown rapidly over the past several years (Internet World Stats: Usage and Popular Statistics, 2011), as has the popularity of Apple iPads and iPhones (Michaels, 2011); therefore it seems to be the public who craved this convergence of media. Newspapers and other forms of media are only created to satisfy the public; therefore, it should only be expected that publications would respond to trends and converge their media to suit the audience’s need and wants.

But what does this increase in convergence mean for the future of journalism? One can say that it will have a positive effect, as convergence has allowed audiences to receive their news like never before and has allowed them to become more involved and interested in the news (Bird, 2009) or one can argue that journalism shouldn’t completely converge, as traditional forms of media showcase a higher-quality standard of journalism, which is lacking in newer, more popular forms (Mosco, 2009).

In her case study, ‘Convergence Journalism: a threat to print journalism?’ Lydia Miljan (2008) states that convergence not only poses a threat to journalism itself, but also to the journalist. She says that as media platforms start to converge, fewer journalists are needed, as publications are now requiring many journalists to be a 3-way or a 4-way journalist, which means they must be multi-talented and be able to produce content for many different media platforms, not one just one. This means that publications require fewer journalists, as one journalist can apparently do the job of four.

In the past several years we have all experienced the rise of the blogger and the citizen journalist. Now it seems that anyone with a pen and paper, or more so a laptop or phone, can witness a newsworthy event and write about it and garner an audience. However, many traditional journalists argue that, “Amateur bloggers typically have no editorial insight, no training in the craft, and no respect for the new media’s rules and standards … blogs are poorly written, self-absorbed [and] hyper-opinionated” (Miljan, 2008). Although citizen journalists and bloggers may be seen as a threat, is there anything journalists actually need to be worried about? Would the public really prefer to receive their news from an unqualified writer compared to an experienced journalist? Statistics show that 80 per cent of bloggers actually have a degree or are currently completing one (Mershon, 2011); therefore maybe these new journalists should be seen as a threat to traditional ones.

The public can now access their favourite titles via so many different media platforms, such as iPhone applications, online versions and more. Although there are now more than 2 billion internet users around the world, statistics show that people still prefer to read their news in the print form (Langeveld, 2009). The answer to this convergence dilemma is perhaps that media outlets should continue to offer both print and online versions of their publications, as they need to satisfy all audiences, not just some. With all this amazing technology available, which has presented us with ways to receive our news like never before, why would we give it all up and go back to just traditional forms? If news had never moved online, the public would not have the say they do now, as audience members can now comment on stories, re-tweet them, etc. The Daily is a great example of how media convergence has given us a completely unique, virtual news experience that we wouldn’t get from traditional forms of media (See video below). The solution is that media should continue to converge, not compete with one another, after all, converge means to connect, not disconnect.

References:

Bird, Elizabeth. (2009). The future of journalism in the digital environment. Journalism, 10 (3), 293-295. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://jou.sagepub.com.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/content/10/3/293

Internet World Stats: Usage and Population Statistics. (2011). Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Jenkins, H. (2010). Confessions of an Aca/Fan: Welcome to Convergence Culture. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.henryjenkins.org/2006/06/welcome_to_convergence_culture.html

Langeveld, M. (2009). Print is still king: only three percent of newspaper reading happens online. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.niemanlab.org/2009/04/print-is-still-king-only-3-percent-of-newspaper-reading-actually-happens-online/

Mershon, P. (2011). Seven Reasons to Rethink your Blogging Strategy: New Research. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/7-reasons-to-rethink-your-blogging-strategy-new-research/#more-13010

Michaels, P. (2011). Apple reports record sales, profits for third quarter. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.macworld.com/article/161212/2011/07/apple_third_quarter_earnings.html

Miljan, L. (2008). We the Media - Convergence Journalism: A threat to print journalism? Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://theendofjournalism.wdfiles.com/local--files/lydiamiljan/lydia%20miljan.pdf

Mosco, V. (2009). The future of journalism. Journalism, 10 (3), 350-352. Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://jou.sagepub.com.ezproxy.bond.edu.au/content/10/3/350

Rupert Murdoch unveils iPad newspaper The Daily. (2011). Retrieved February 6, 2012, from http://www.news.com.au/technology/tablets/ipad-only-publication-the-daily-unveiled/story-fn6vigfp-1225999145465