If news agencies
disappeared tomorrow the free flow of information around the globe would have
to rely on the communication from citizen journalism. With citizen journalism, individuals would be
able to provide some information.
According to David Schlesinger, “bloggers and user-generated content can
partner the traditional news services.
They can also compete” (Owen & Purdey, 2009, p. 35). As technology and daily use of the Internet
continue to grow, citizen journalist and bloggers are able to provide information
with a different approach than traditional news agencies. Often reaching and providing eyewitness
reports that traditional journalists would not have been able to discover. David Schlesinger states, “The freely
available blogged comment may well be more penetrating and useful than the
factual news accounts” (Owen & Purdey, 2009, p. 35).
Many individuals criticize the reports and information
gathered by citizen journalists and bloggers.
Questioning whether the information is creditable and reliable for the
public. Yet, Schlesinger states,
“Citizen Journalists-who are both a part of the professionals’ audience and
apart from it-have power too, however.
They too have distribution, and with the democracy of the internet can
quickly build a readership and create a movement. And they have the advantage of
ubiquity-chances are someone with access to the internet will be on the scene
when and where news happen even if a professional journalist is not” (Owen & Purdey, 2009, p. 34).
The future for news agencies will depend on how they are
able to adapt with the new advancements in technology and how to use that
technology to provide information to the public. Nigel Baker stated, “Technology allowed news
agencies to exist. Now technology has
the potential to destroy them” (Owen & Purdey, 2009, p. 38). As every day individuals adapt to the
advancements in technology and capturing live events on their phones or mobile
devices, it is no longer the professional photojournalists who will provide the
images for the public. Every day
individuals now have the ability to provide those images. Without adapting to the new technology,
journalists will struggle in the future.
The
role of a journalist and the guidelines we stand for will not disappear from public. So long as facts, economics, global
standards, reporting the world continue to be important, then news agencies and
services will continue to exist (Owen & Purdey, 2009, p. 35-36). It may be the same as the past, but I believe
it will continue to grow and adapt as technology continues to provide new aids
to the general public, but also journalists as well.
Reference
Owen, J. & Purdey,
H. (Eds.). (2009). International news reporting: Frontlines and deadlines.
Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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