The advent of the internet pioneered the way for significant transformations in the media industry. Initially, the news was disseminated using traditional media, including print, recorded, conversational, sound, and pictures. Traditional news followed a centralized, top-down fashion and faced various problems, among them is censorship. The internet paved the way for citizen journalism which eradicated censorship and significantly played a part in democratizing power. However, modern technological mediums have had a significant toll on defining who news reporters are and creating mistrust in the traditional news dissemination channels.
How Cell Phones and Other Technologies Have Changed
Modern technological devices have led to a participatory culture whereby individual citizens can partake in creating and circulating news via mediums, including audio, text, videos, and pictures. Furthermore, social media sites, blogs, and websites have aided citizens worldwide in becoming the current channels for disseminating information and news. Currently, any enthusiastic citizen with access to a computer or smartphone can become a reporter and instantly reach a global audience (Jamil & Adjei, 2019). A surge in online reporters has, however, created concerns over the difference between citizen and professional journalism in regards to neutrality, deontology, and objectivity. However, credible citizen journalists have positively revolutionized the journalism industry by providing timely news to the global audience.
How Citizen Journalism Has Contributed to the Lack of Trust in Traditional Media
Citizen journalism has had a tremendous effect in contributing to the lack of trust in the traditional media. Due to the large number of sources covering a particular topic among citizen journalists, they do possess accurate and unbiased news (Knight, 2020). Unethical behavior among traditional media results in reputation ruin primarily due to exposure by the citizen journalistic mediums. A perfect example of exposure to traditional media is the Russian Collusion Hoax reported by various traditional media such as the Wall Street Journal (Jamil & Adjei, 2019). Various studies have indicated that traditional news consumers opt for citizen journalism as their news providers due to false news, increasing bipartisanship among traditional media, and digitization of media providers. Consumers also shift to citizen media to gain additional perspective and dispute the occurrences of events broadcasted by the traditional media.
How to Manage the Shift That These Have Had Power in Society
The majority of the media industry’s power has shifted to citizen journalism. However, due to the decentralization and ease of becoming a citizen journalist, various vital factors should be addressed to uphold the integrity and deontological concerns associated with the current media. First, the modern media industry should implement global fact-checking criteria for all citizen journalists (Knight, 2020). Second, the industry should educate the consumers on the means to research news for legitimacy, bias, and conflict of interest among the authors. Third, an industrial metric should be devised to discern verified and unverified citizen journalists by offering certification to credible journalists.
Summary of the Knight’s Foundation Article
An article by the Knight Foundation delineates the views expressed by Americans regarding their preference for traditional and citizen journalism. The article indicates that most Americans value the role played by traditional media in their societies, but experience increased bias against the media (Knight, 2020). Lastly, the article indicates that most traditional media lacks diversification of their reporting staff hence promoting bias. I concur with the article regarding the role plaid by traditional media and support the need for neutrality and unbiased dissemination of information to the public.
The internet has played a significant role in diversifying the media industry. Various studies have indicated that traditional news consumers opt for citizen journalism as their news providers due to false news, increasing bipartisanship among traditional media, and digitization of media providers. However, the media industry should regulate citizen journalists to enhance credibility and follow deontological rules. Ramifications over the major concerns addressed may ensure credible and unbiased journalism.
References
Jamil, S., & Adjei, G. A. (2019). Journalism in the era of mobile technology: The changing pattern of news production and the thriving culture of fake news in Pakistan and Ghana.
Knight. (2020). American views 2020: Trust, media and democracy. Knight Foundation.