Online Journalism: The Pros and Cons
Technological advancement through the years has provided a reinvigoration of the whole media scheme. The journalism industry was revamped from its print-based onto the internet-based feature of the digital age. With the demand, online journalism caused the decline of traditional journalism in accessibility and revenue.
Online Journalism and its perks
The new media offers faster pacing in all aspects of journalism. Through the aide of technology, the news and any other information are accessible 24/7 anytime, anywhere. In contrast to the slow pace of the news process in traditional journalism. There is basically a whole new system of gathering and distributing news.
New journalism provides a platform accessible to everyone. The news in now made by voiced out opinions and perspectives of the people regarding different issues. Making journalism interactive in that sense.
The first video featuring Anita Li, all in all, talked about the advantages of Online Journalism. Emphasizing the innovative feature of the internet to media and journalism. Li accentuated that the low number of minority representation in media newsrooms, “is very little to none.”
Then, there is the obvious segregation by race and color that presents setbacks in providing all angles in news stories.
The rarity in minority representations could indicate that “we do not get the bigger picture.”
From which Li pointed out how ‘few minority journalists meant fewer minority perspectives. Information and knowledge is never limited to any color or race.
The news is for everyone; therefore, everybody should be able to contribute to a news story in one form or another. And I wholeheartedly agreed when Li said that when,
“Essential voices are missing in the news, then so is essential information.”
Anita Li
This unforeseen power is easily just given out to anyone without limitations. And that in itself is the scary part.
Moreover, this brings us to the key point in the second video featuring renowned Filipino reporter/journalist, Atom Araullo.
Unknown dangers lurking in the world wide web
The internet offers a vast resource of information with no regard for prohibitions in certain areas of information sharing. And if Li fully supports and commends the efficiency of online journalism, we have Mr. Araullo here to testify against it.
Correspondingly, he warned us of the dangers lurking in the net. Hence, he made it clear how in this modern time people have unintentionally blurred the lines between news and social media.
This makes it easier for people to use said platform for scamming, clout, and just plain entertainment for deceiving people. Furthermore, with the rampant ‘proliferation of fake media sites,’ the internet should not be the main source for news.
Another thing, most people assume that they can identify the newsworthy without verification or further factual backing. And it is just because they have access to a platform that caters to their need for voicing out opinions.
Also if that is so, what separates the journalists, media practitioners, reporters from anyone who has access to the internet and is active in social media platforms?
