Journalism is a form of communication in which trained personnel collect information in print, audio or visual form with the goal of disseminating it to targeted audiences.
Journalism has undergone dramatic technological transformations that have had a lasting effect on the profession. These advancements are occurring at an accelerating rate, altering journalism practice as never before.
Gatekeepers
Technology has had a profound effect on journalism and news media, altering how information is created, shared, curated and perceived within society. It also shapes the political public sphere in tangible ways that cannot be measured.
A critical factor in this transformation is the role of Gatekeepers – organizations, journalists, societal elites and opinion leaders who possess structural power within the media ecosystem.
Gatekeepers are accountable for making content accessible to their audiences across various channels, such as legacy media, social media and the internet. They select, channel and share data using automated processes and algorithms.
Contrary to traditional gatekeeping, decisions are made by individual journalists or editorial teams.
Platform companies have grown into global giants in the digital age, controlling their own networks and responsible for selecting, distributing, and promoting information. These powers are embedded within the tech stack and can be seen through actions taken to restrict or delete accounts as well as flagging false data.
Audience
An audience is a group of individuals who observe performances or activities. It may be real or perceived, ranging from an intimate setting (such as at a concert or theater) to large crowds in public places like stadiums or TV broadcasts with thousands of viewers.
Technology has had a profound effect on journalism and news media, giving audiences 24/7 access to information via the internet. Through this medium, they are able to give their opinions and contribute to reporting.
However, many journalists still resist incorporating audience research into newsroom decision-making or using quantitative metrics to evaluate their work. This largely stems from their history in print media where editors and peers used proxies such as ratings to influence their decisions about news stories.
Despite these obstacles, newsrooms are increasingly adopting new technologies to better gather audience insights. These include social media sites and an expanding selection of analytics tools.
Information Exchangers
The Internet has revolutionized how people collect and distribute news. It’s an information network that encourages scientific inquiry, technological advancement, entrepreneurship, rapid data exchange, accuracy and adaptability.
It also serves to enable public engagement with journalists. This has altered the balance of power between transmitting and receiving information (Domingo et al., 2008).
However, this has created new difficulties for journalists and news media. One major issue is the proliferation of fake news, which can undermine their credibility as well as reduce traffic and generate revenue.
To combat these challenges, responsible media organizations can utilize technology to expand their capacity for fact checking content on social platforms and improve the quality of news users encounter online. Furthermore, responsible media organizations need to understand their audiences’ needs and preferences so they can personalize and recommend content responsibly; doing so helps minimize negative effects on society while creating public benefits.
Relevance
Technology has had a profound effect on journalism and news media in many ways. It has revolutionized how journalists report, as well as altered how audiences consume information.
Technically speaking, journalism quality has less to do with the technology employed than whether there is a newsroom and system of editorial control (Schudson, 1995). The Internet has enabled journalists around the world to exchange real time news information.
Journalists can utilize the power of the internet to access and share information with readers that might not be accessible through traditional methods. Furthermore, they are able to reach out to new audiences who have never encountered similar content as them before.
Journalism schools and journalists face an immense challenge. To stay ahead of the competition, universities must modify their curricula and equip students with essential knowledge.