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 This opinion is now incredibly outdated, as a majority of publications have embraced the concept of citizen journalism and now encourage alternative ways of gathering and reporting news (Kolodzy,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