Online Journalism

Tapsall makes some interesting points about whether the future digital newsroom will actually improve or degrade news? As she discusses, theorists have many perspectives on technology's role in the future of journalism and society. Some believe technological change will generate social change, will alleviate poverty and educating third world countries. Others feel technology will increase the problems it tries to solve.

Personally, I think there can be no doubt that despite all the claims of diversity of opinion and education of the masses, technology will largely serve to further concentrate news. Despite the increasing proliferation of communication infrastructure in countries around the globe, many countries still lag behind in communication technology, and while developments of infrastructure may have dissolved geographic boundaries, it has also helped create another divide- a digital divide. This digital divide encompasses two aspects- the divergence of technological access between industrialised and developing societies, and the gap between the information rich and poor in each nation (Thussu, 2006).

News agencies such as Reuters, CNN, BBC etc. have established links all over the world and “they represent a highly participative exchange-based co-operative system and yet also a hierarchically organised global network dominated by US and European based organsiations” (Cooper Chen, 2005). This isn't a good thing for the future of news.

Similarly, as discussed in previous weeks, technology can be seen to reduce diversity, with many countries turning to foreign news as it is a cheaper alternative to home grown products. For example, South Africa doesn't export many shows and local content makes up less then half of TV programming because imports are cheaper. Also, advertisers don’t support local shows, they target more affluent audiences who normally watch international programs. So while technology may have helped connect the world, poorer countries are still only seeing news important to the global agenda, which erodes local identity. Increasingly, content is being sacrificed for the sake of visually appealing stories or stories that have the largest mass appeal. And this was a concern discussed during the presentations focused on globalisation vs localisation.

Technology also complicates the role of journalists. As Tapsell states, journalists now need to be multi-skilled as the are often required to do all aspect of story- writing, editing, presenting etc. This in turn is bound to have an effect on content, as journalists have less time to spend on stories.

• Cooper-Chen, A, 2005, Global Entertainment Media, Lawrence Erlbaum, USA


• Mohammadi, A S, Winseck, D, Mc Kenna, J & Boyd-Barrett, O, 1997, Media in Global Context, Arnold, London


• Morris, N & Waisbord, S, 2001, Media and Globalisation, Rowman &Littlefield, USA


• Nightingale, V & Dwyer, T, 2007, New Media Worlds- Challenges for Convergence, Oxford University Press, Melbourne


• Norris, P, 2001, Digital Divide, Cambridge University Press, USA


• Thussu, D K, 2006, International Communication- Continuity and Change, 2nd edn, Hodder Arnold, London

What do you think? Is society determined by technology?