Hooray, looks like I'm finally going to get to speak to someone about whether current trends in political communication, i.e. the use of new technologies are going to make journalists redundant?
Of course this is an issue that affects all PR. With so many ways to communicate with specific target audiences directly, what's the point of media relations? For those on the receiving end of information, with so many different easily accessible sources available, do we still need journalists to mediate? I'll have some thoughts from the journalists' point of view on Friday.
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I think that the role of journalists, like a lot of "human roles," is somewhat, albeit not entirely being replaced increasingly by technology. The "common man" journalist is becoming the norm as news agencies as viewers to submit personal photos and videos. This probably made the "bottom rung" journalists redundant, but untrained writers cannot compare to the calibre of front page New York Times reporters.
The journalists' role is being more compromised because we are becoming a visual and soundbite audience that seems allergic to actually reading more than three words.
Harry Potter, after all, was such a big deal because the book series actually got kids "back on" books.
Why we're becoming more visual and soundbite-oriented is more a commentary on how technology is making us lazy and apathetic as a society ... which, as we all know, is the best conditions for a dictatorship to start under ... not that I'm saying anything about Bush or authoriarianism...
I don't think citizen journalists will replace traditional journos.
Because they cannot provide what the media is currently offering, quality clear, authentic, objective information and news.
Some media houses have been caught out with unathentic copy from citizen journalists. Most recently the guardian newspaper with the now infamous "Dorset fire" photograph that turned out to be a cover photograph from a well known book.
However, the media is embracing them by airing their contributions. Infact the BBC has set up a department called the UGC (User generated content) hub that authenticates and edits copy from the public.
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