By
Blandina K Malinzi
My desire for being a professional journalist is a discourse that I find unavoidable to share. Driven by the conventions of this discipline by my role models Christiane Amanpour, Anderson Cooper, and Oprah Winfrey today I continue to find out how the conventions are taking shape especially in this digital age. Journalism has been a big part of my life from a young age as I remember that I always wanted to be a journalist and start my own magazine company. Lately, I have found myself questioning myself on how I as a journalist can survive in the digital age. Whether I should change my career or continue to follow my passion even though Journalism is going through a difficult transition. The question I ponder upon the most is whether journalism is really going through a difficult phase or is it just getting better.
I can start off from 1990 when the www also known as World Wide Web came into the world it changed the world it was something exciting you could browse information on your favorite artists from Jay-Z, Destiny’s child and you could even find some governmental secrets. I can still remember opening my first email it was intriguing as I could communicate with my siblings who were living in England and some of my friends. Those were some of the first changes that occurred in the world wide web revolution; the simple shift of conversation from letter writing which took a few days or months to reach to the reach to the other end of this instant method that would be known as e-mailing.
http://www.onetoomanymornings.co.uk
With the birth of the Internet came social media are websites and applications that allow the user to be able to create and share content or to participate in other social networking sites. Facebook originated February 4th, 2004 it was founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his fellow college roommate Eduardo Saverin. I’m an online social networking service where people are allowed to comment and connect with other people from different nationalities where they are allowed to post videos and photos, send messages and update on their status allowing the user to share their everyday moments with friends and families both near and afar. Twitter, another networking site that enables users to direct and read short 140 messages, which are called tweets. From journalism perspective twitter, has changed the way news is collected, spread and consumed.
One journalist and blogger says, “One small error can compound itself instantaneously, thanks to the eager efforts of would-be investigators lurking in the comments section and armed with instant search. Corrections are no longer an afterthought process – they happen in real-time for the world to see. This also means that the audience will penalize wrong reporting harshly. So you had better make sure your reporting is ironclad”. Amy Cassel (2013).
It’s amazing what digital age has done for journalism. One would think that it will be difficult that the only way people can access is on TV, newspapers or magazines but really when it comes to Twitter, news can be breaking at any moment. Anyone can update on news it doesn’t have to be a journalist as long as they were there at an event they can update the news on Twitter, as a journalist myself have updated news on Twitter and on Facebook. How many people in the world today would say that they get their news from watching TV, listening to Radio or magazines the majority of people now have cell phones access to The Internet.
I consider myself an addictive to the internet whenever I am browsing through the net I am looking for information on the news I constantly find myself browsing through such sites such as The Guardian, Daily mail, Hello Magazine and many others, newspapers and magazines have shifted into the digital world. From the New York Times, the Wall Street journal and the USA have adapted to digital media and are increasingly using satellite technology to transmit national editions of their newspapers to regional centers for printing and distribution. Sales have dropped as people are constantly reading online through mobile phones, tablets, Ipads there are even apps on the phone now people can download news sites from the Huffington post, and the New York times. Digital age has brought in a tremendous new life for journalists, journalists are now able to communicate with their readers and get their feedback, which is good. I can proudly say that with the digital revolution people are more outspoken on what’s happening in the world. Now we can watch the news on TV there is a new thing that is also changing journalism.
Digital age has brought in a tremendous new life for journalists, journalists are now able to communicate with their readers and get their feedback, which is good. I can proudly say that with the digital revolution people are more outspoken on what’s happening in the world. Now we could watch the news on TV there is a new thing that is also changing journalism.
It’s amazing what digital age has done for journalism. One would think that it will be difficult that the only way people could access news was on TV, newspapers or magazines but really when it comes to Twitter, news can be breaking at any moment, anyone can update on news it doesn’t have to be a journalist as long as they were there at an event they can update the news on Twitter, as a journalist myself have updated news on Twitter and on Facebook besides Twitter and Facebook. How many people in the world today would say that they get their news from watching TV, listening to Radio or magazines the majority of people now have cell phones access to The Internet.
I consider myself an addictive to the internet whenever I am browsing through the net I am looking for information on the news I constantly find myself browsing through such sites such as The Guardian, Daily mail, Hello Magazine and many others, newspapers and magazines have shifted into the digital world. The New York Times, the Wall Street journal and the USA have adapted to digital media and are increasingly using satellite technology to transmit national editions of their newspapers to regional centers for printing and distribution.
Sales have dropped as people are constantly reading online through mobile phones, tablets,l Ipads there are even apps on the phone now people can download news sites from the Huffington post, and the New York times. Digital age has brought in a tremendous new life for journalists, journalists are now able to communicate with their readers and get their feedback, which is good.
I can proudly say that with the digital revolution people are more outspoken on what’s happening in the world. Now we could watch the news on TV there is a new thing that is also changing journalism it’s called Live blogging, a live blog is a running commentary on an event that is on notion you’re keeping your readers up to date on the event for instances the Olympics, world cup and the Wimbledon and many others it is similar to a live television or live radio.
One of the best things about digital age is that it has given the audience a platform, a chance for them to tell their stories there now able to publish their own stories. Other digital tools that have impacted journalism in the digital age are Skype, videophone calls, iPhone apps and YouTube. So those are the good things that are currently changing journalism in the digital age.
The worrying factor that is scaring me as a journalist in the digital age is journalists are also paying less attention in clarifying their works and sources for their stories, now more than ever journalists are under more pressure than ever before such stories as human interests stories, entertainment news and tabloid journalism have abruptly increased over the years through this changes they have deeply influenced the public news demands, the media’s new offer, and the role of journalism.
From my experience working in a magazine company, my boss used to constantly remind us the writers and editors to content update on the blog website, an update on Facebook and Twitter hear from the readers point of views what needs to be done, how to improve on the magazine.
The access to sources, information and data have increased, one thing that has changed journalism is investigative journalism is a form of journalism in which reporters deeply investigate a single topic of interest, such as serious crime, political corruption, or cooperate wrongdoing. Investigate journalists who now have to adapt to the digital revolution using data is another way to let people localize national stories is also another important way that investigative journalism has changed.
” Information has gone from scarce to superabundant. That brings huge new benefits, says Kenneth Cukier (interviewed here)—but also big headaches”, Kenneth Cukier.
Yes we have gotten all these new opportunities but they are challenges that journalists are facing with all these accessible governments have become even more strict with journalists, governments have restricted most sites.
For instance, databases and the computers are good sources even with these changes Journalists still face challenges with the government, the journalist who publish sensitive stories still face punishment from the government this can get them to lose their status, salary cut, being fired or get a suspension from the media community.
Journalism education in the digital age, is having a journalism degree still important in today’s digital world? I mean we have all the facilities from the Internet, social media, and mobile phones, Skype and YouTube.
Journalism is not dying but that journalists need to appreciate all the wonderful things that digital age is offering for them to go on they need to adapt to the digital age and embrace and love it.
Digital Age Africa 