It provides a more positive reading of how new technology can change the way news is created and consumed and also gives us the chance to consider Baudrillard's theory of hyper-reality.
Media Magazine ran a reality special edition a few years ago that explored these issues in some depth. Your blog task is to read two (or more!) articles from MM30 and complete the tasks below.
Blog tasks
Citizen journalism and UGC (user-generated content)
1) Read the article from Media Magazine: The Rise and Rise of UGC (Dec 2009). Use our Media Magazine archive, click on MM30 and go to page 55.
2) Create a blogpost where you make notes from the article under the following headings:
examples
In 1991 video cameras became more popular and affordable.
The Asian Tsunami on December 26th 2004 was predominantly reported using UGC. Social media also helped to create eye witness accounts and also 'helped survivors and family members get in touch'.
The London Bombings on July 5th 2005 is another example where 'No one was closer to events than those caught up in the bombings, and the footage they provided from their mobile phones was raw and uncompromising.'
23-year-old, Seung-Hui Cho sent writing, photos and videos to NBC news. He killed two people, sent the package via local post office, then killed a further 30 people. 'his 'manifesto' showed his paranoia and obsession, likening himself to jesus christ. Jamal Albarghouti, rather than saving his own life, stayed nearby and shot the even on his phone.
Twitter and flickr played a vital part in the Mumbai bombings in November 2008. Again they were risking their own lives sending tweets.
The Hudson River plane crash on January 15th 2009 was brought to peoples attention on twitter.
theory (audience reception etc.)
Blumler and Katz - Uses and Gratifications - Surveillance - we are reliant on UGC for a lot of our observations of the world.
Personal Identification
Galtung and Ruge - News Values
Immediacy - people can shoot and upload as and when events are occurring.
benefits to institutions
Free footage for institutions, the also don't need to pay and send someone to go out and capture footage from the sidelines.
benefits to audience
They are more involved, more activeness passive.
wider issues and debates
There is no regulation of what is posted so a lot of content can be falsified and/or inappropriate.
SHEP
Social
There has been a dramatic rise is audience interaction - More and more people automatically film an event through instinct rather than running to save themselves and forget.
Historical
In 1991, cameras become more popular and affordable.
Economical
News institutions need to spend less on footage and sending people out to capture the footage which would be from the sidelines rather than directly where the action is.
Political
The more powerful are less able to control the news and make it bias in favour of them another beliefs. All perspectives are unedited.
3) What is meant by the term ‘citizen journalist’?
A citizen journalist is a member of the public whom may not have and journalistic experience sharing and reporting - often inadvertently - news stories.
4) What was one of the first examples of news being generated by ‘ordinary people’?
Rodney king was caught after a high speed chase where police beat him. This was caught on camera and made 'prime time news'. The officers were charged but were then acquitted of those charges. despite the footage showing evidence and causing the even to become news.
5) List some of the formats for participation that are now offered by news organisations.
Comment sections
Polls
Chatrooms/forums
Message/phone ins
6) What is one of the main differences between professionally shot footage and that taken first-hand (UGC)?
The quality of the footage is a main difference, however the professionally shot footage is always edited and changing the narrative to suit peoples desires.
7) What is a gatekeeper?
A gatekeeper is someone who filters and moderates information.
8) How has the role of a gatekeeper changed?
They have little control over content online. which can be and issue if they have chosen to cut out something from footage that has been posted online.
9) What is one of the primary concerns held by journalists over the rise of UGC?
Too many 'unimportant' stories will be sent in, they may be popular but don't suit many news values.
10) Offer your own opinion (critical autonomy) on the following:
What impact is new/digital media having on:
- news stories
- the news agenda (the choice of stories that make up the news)
- the role of professionals in news
New and digital media allows for more surveillance of the world as stories that aren't usually covered by news institutions are shown online, particularly on social media. This means that the news agenda can and will be criticised quite heavily especially in terms of not properly covering issues like The North Dakota Pipeline and the ongoing events in Syria. As a result professionals are not necessarily need, this is evident on sites such as youtube as there are a lot of news sites run by people whom may not have professional journalistic experience.
No comments:
Post a Comment