In the past few years, we have seen how major technological changes have changed the face of the journalism. With the turbulent forces at work in the political landscape, we can see how the momentum of these changes is quickening to the extent that even a simple process of news gathering to dissemination has changed. All this brings benefits and disadvantages.
The bottom line is, if media practitioners do not wake up to the harsh reality of changes in our country and cope with the dynamic changes, for sure, some may have to explore other areas of development to be better equipped for life in journalism or venture to seek employment in other areas.
Looking Back
1. In the fourteenth century, Johann Gutenberg started the print revolution.
2. Then the telegraph was invented making it possible for writers to transmit their stories over telegraph and telex lines.
3. The invention of the telephone enabled reporters to gather news more easily and quickly.
4. Then came the evolution of photography, motion picture photography and television.
5. At this point of time, the most revolutionary and impactful development has certainly been the invention of computers and the Internet which have completely changed the face of journalism and the media industry to the extent that it is not only the means and form of communication that is being changed, but also the content and dimension of its messages.
With all the advances in technology, the quality and potential of online publishing has outstripped that of the print media. Typesetting features and tools needed to bring out well designed publications are available in latest DTP programs for the personal computer.
Since I started blogging, it has been an unending journey of learning. Each day, I realize how little I know and much more I have to learn to keep abreast with changes to handle graphics, pictures and presentation with ease.
While the new media offers the tool of photo-journalism, the credibility of photographs is dubious with the ease of computer manipulation of images.The credibility of a picture now depends on the credibility of the newspaper and the photojournalist and other ethical issues.
With word processing, one would think that both the print and new media in Malaysia would offer a higher standard of proofreading but this has not been the case. Word processing and archiving have brought negative effects Most publications have practically abandoned proof-reading, leaving the job to spell check engines of word processors which have their own limitations. It will not flag a spelling mistake if spelling is wrong only in the current context. For example, the engine would pass the word if you type `their' where `there' is needed. A more dreaded mistake in publishing is when a word such as `public' getting printed without the `l'. Such a horrible error can be undetected by spell checks!
Perhaps it could be due to the ease of publishing news - bypassing proof-readers/editors with just a click of the mouse. Still, one would think that such errors would be picked up and corrected after that but more often than not, it has not happened.
Online publishing such as in news portals, forums and blogs make it easy for writers to search archives and to incorporate it into copy. Reference to past events and issues from the archives will help reporters to add much more background and depth to their reports. This can also mean that anyone can be easily caught for their contradictory statements as evidence can be retrieved from archives.
In time to come, reporters may be dictating their stories on the field via voice recognition programs. The electronic media may embrace such a technology but would print journalists welcome? Voice recognition is already here but needs more time to mature.
Then, the distinction between various media in the near future may be blurred to the extent that an integrated newsroom might be needed. The same newsroom would produce the print and online editions of the newspaper and news broadcasts over radio, cable and television.
Press releases are commonly issued through electronic bulletin boards and the Internet enabling embargo to be executed easily! Journalists can dial up and get the information any time after it has been posted. Bulletin boards can be of real help if used while managing calamities and other incidents. Authorities like the police keep on posting information as and when they become available on bulletin boards and without the need to answer calls from reporters, they can concentrate on their responsibilities.
In a nutshell, I can see how the media industry is changing with the availability of electronic sources of information including:
* the electronic bulletin board
* the Internet
* computer networking
* electronic databases
* other tools such as E-mail, telnet, Internet browsers and search engines
* etc. etc.
Note the possibility of Internet sites or files disappearing without trace especially if the material is controversial.
Suffice to say that the Internet has revolutionized communication and hastened the slow death of the print media. It is now within the reach of ordinary individuals to publish something with a world wide reach - an unimaginable scenario in the past. In the past, publishing required large investments but all we need now is a computer and an Internet connection. Many large organisations are now offering free server space for Web publishing to host free personal Web sites (with substantial space) to attract more hits and advertisements to their combined sites and services. Clearly, it is cheaper to host websites than to own a publishing house/newspaper.
I surmise that the Internet is still in infancy with opportunities that are only beginning to bloom.
In the near future, we are going to see even more changes.
Despite the advantages that the new media offers, the main weakness is internet security - the maintenance of which are high and need international expertise. As we all know, the MT site is still blocked at the point of writing. FMT and DSAI's blog are open now but for how long? Will there come a time when we kiss goodbye to twitter, YouTube, Facebook etc? We all have to think of alternative ways to communicate in such challenging times such as in podcasts etc.
Whilst, I believe the Internet is a major source of news, access could be limited through unseen hands. If so, it may not displace any of the established media in the near future although circulation might fall. One thing is for sure - internet publications can multiply exponentially.
By then, it will no longer be more many voices and one world, as the famous UNESCO publication (Many Voices, One World, Sean MacBride, International Commission for Study of Communication Problems, UNESCO, Paris) put it.
It will be millions of voices (sites) and ONE cyber world.
The sun is setting for the print media but a new sun is rising for a new beginning indeed...
Anonymous Ain't it grand, to see the Sun setting on information tyranny?
I'll say it's a cause to rejoice for all fair minded people to see the demise of vulgar thought control and censorship in their insidious forms! Yippee!!
The multitude of readers will decide/conclude for themselves the veracity of unfettered information instead of being reduced into manipulated herds.
Die faster, MSM!
~wits0~