Journalism Can Only Survive Through Cooperation

     

Citizen and Professional journalists must work together for journalism to survive. Technology is evolving everyday and with it, the ability to share experiences. Citizen journalists are essential to journalism, as they can capture newsworthy moments that many professional journalists cannot.

The question on everyone's minds, however, is whether or not citizen journalism should be taken seriously. Professional journalists spend years honing their craft and put many hours of research into ensuring the credibility of their sources. Journalist Leo Traub of the University of Maryland argues that citizen journalism is not credible enough to be trusted, a sentiment that is echoed throughout the journalism community. Why trust any person with a camera and the ability to edit over a professional journalist with years of experiences under their belt?

The answer to this can be found in the many videos and images of important moments in history that were recorded by civilians. From the murder of George Floyd to the raid on the US Capital, citizens everywhere now have the ability to record important moments in time that a journalist does not always have access to.

So what's the solution to this debate? Well I, along with many other journalists, believe that rather than having one or the other, the best solution would be to work together. In an article by Darryl Holiday, he explains that the best solution to this crisis is to involve more people who are willing to assist in the production of local news. Pushing away the public is not the answer to this problem, especially since the news is supposed to be for the benefit of the public. No, the best solution is to work together, both citizen and professional journalists, to prioritze the production of credible news everywhere. After all, without information from the public, professional journalists would have nothing to write about.

Podcasting 1

https://www.buzzsprout.com/2179303/12722176

Questions for Transmedia

1. Why is transmedia storytelling important in digital convergence communication?

 Transmedia storytelling utilizes different media platforms in order to tell their story, with each one offering both a unique perspective and new information that relates to the main story. There is not one specific platform to receive information on in today's society, so it's only natural for today's media to utilize the multiple platforms they have available.

 
2. Why can the media business be beneficial more from transmedia storytelling in
distributing their productions?

When utilizing transmedia storytelling, the media business is able to reach a larger audience, as some may not see their creations on the main platform they utilize.

 
3. How can transmedia storytelling be beneficial for different bodies of audience in
consuming productions?

Transmedia storytelling can be used to tell a story to a wider audience in a way that is more accessible and interesting to them. Kids may be more interested in video games while adults may be more interested in a show, but both audiences will be able to receive the story in a satisfying and unique way.

 
4. How can transmedia storytelling be worked out in terms of collective intelligence
in the process of production?

Fans of a piece of media are able to come together and talk about the media, while sharing their own interpretations and theories.

 
5. How does transmedia storytelling encourage the interactivity with the audience?

 Fans of a piece of media will commonly come together to create and share fan creations that celebrate the original piece of media. This is done through art, writing, videos, and many other kinds of media.

 

Questions for Online Journalism

 All the Aggregation That’s Fit to Aggregate

 What does aggregation mean?

Aggregation is the act of gathering content made by others and putting it all in one place (ie. taking an article from one site and linking to it on another) to give the illusion of original content.

Why does the author describe Arianna Huffington as “the queen of aggregation?” Go
to the Huffington Post and provide an example.

The author finds that the content found on the Huffington Post is almost all aggregated. When visiting the site, it seems that any article containing political or otherwise serious topics can be found on every other news site. Any article that is a Huffington Post original is laughably unrelated to the important articles and seems to be content that is only made to fill up space on the front page.

Is aggregation a threat to professional journalism – why or why not?

Yes. The author says it himself that if everyone aggregates from someone else, there won't be anyone to steal content from in the end. It also allows aggregators to profit off of the work of other writers.

 

Photojournalism in the Age of New Media

 A professional journalist receives a photo captured by a citizen journalist...

 - What are the positives? 

 The journalist may receive a photo that they could not have otherwise gotten through professional means. This gives them the upper hand in crisis journalism as they have content that no other news site has.

- Why does the professional journalist need to be careful? 

Professional journalists must ensure that they verify the authenticity of the photo by making sure the sender is the original owner and that the photo is unedited. If they are not careful, an unauthentic photo can lead to lawsuits and a loss of credibility for both the journalist and the publication company.

- Why might the content of the photo be called into question? 

 Photos from citizen journalists can very easily be stolen or edited, making them unauthentic and unusable in professional journalism.

- How does citizen photojournalist impact the job of the professional
photojournalist?

It threatens the job of professional photojournalists, since it is so easy for anyone to become a citizen journalist. However, I believe that it will also emphasize the importance of professional photojournalists, as they will always be a reputable source, which a citizen journalist may not always be.

Questions for article Youtube

 1. How does the interaction online become the key for YouTube video production community? Please use the media convergence concept to explain it. 

 Online interaction between both content creators and their audiences are essential to success on YouTube, as without it, audiences would receive no content and the creators would have no audience to support them. Media convergence allows for this content to be shared across multiple platforms like Instagram, TikTok, etc., to help the creator grow a wider audience.

 
2. The article mentioned that the teens are mainly passively consumers of
YouTube being on the periphery. But seven out of 10 most subscribed partners
are teens and young adults. How do you explain this use of YouTube in youth?

The younger generation typically seeks quick entertainment rather than create it, as content creation takes time, brainpower, and resources that many younger people don't have.

 
3. How does YouTube use different techniques to create an online community
that is different from other websites?

YouTube utilizes certain algorithms that learn what a viewer likes to watch and promotes similar content to them. They also allow for videos to be monetized based on views and subscribers, which in turn grants consumers the ability to support them in ways that aren't directly monetary.

 
4. What is the next step for YouTube development? Please use the concept of
participatory culture and media development theory we discussed to explain.

YouTube will need to keep up with and promote recent trends in order to stay relevant, as well as continuing to advance its algorithm technology. They will also need to continue to listen to their audience and make changes that will receive positive feedback from its users, rather than making changes that prohibit certain well-liked features.

 

Homework Exercise #1: Blogging on Politics

Based on my research of the topic, it seems that the mishandling of important government documents is becoming a recurring theme when you take a look at the last two presidents. However, both cases have been found to differ drastically from each other. In Donald Trump's case, it was reported that around 11,000 documents were recovered from his Mar-a-Lago home, with around 100 being marked as classified. These documents were discovered almost an entire year after Trump had left the White House. Trump's lawyers has also previously sworn certification that all government records had been returned. When faced with this case, Trump had claimed to have declassified all the documents before taking them and treated the case with disdain and in compliance. In the case of president Biden, it was stated that around 6 classified documents were discovered in his Wilmington, Delaware home, all of which were taken into the custody of NARA the next day. Biden and his attorneys have reportedly been compliant in the search, with Biden claiming that he had no knowledge of his ownership of said documents.

Both cases imply the lack of security in the White House in the case of classified documents. These cases prove just how easy it may be for officials in the White House to retrieve important documents regarding classified information. Both cases are being utilized against either president by members of the opposite party to delegitimize their competency. I believe that these cases have been downplayed as simple political munitions to attack either political party, rather than being treated as real crimes separate from politics.

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Questions for Documentary

 1. The web, while revolutionary, can only be used through certain devices, primarily phones and computers, which are not always readily available to everyone across the globe. Financial status, location, and demand all play a role in whether or not someone has the ability to be connected to the web. However, the web's influence plays a large role in all areas of society, regardless of people's connectivity.

2. Wikipedia embraces the idea of trust in your community and those like you, rather than blind trust in invisible authority. It allows for people to come together and create a world of information by the people and for the people through many forms of digital media convergence, like books, television, and scholarly articles.

3. The web makes digital convergence not only a possibility, but a necessity when using the internet. Television, music, art, and messaging are just a handful of what the web has to offer in regard to digital media convergence.

4. The internet gives anyone and everyone a voice to speak out against an authority and the ability to spread their messages all across the world. A somewhat recent example can be seen with the protests in Hong Kong against the Chinese government. The brutality of Chinese law enforcers against Hong Kong citizens was able to be revealed to the rest of the world through social media and news outlets. An injustice that could have gone unnoticed by the rest of the world was given a platform through the internet.

5. The change from vertical media authority to horizontal can be explained by the web's ability to give everyone an equal platform to speak out on, thereby leveling the playing field. Because of this, the possibility of digital media convergence is near infinite, as anyone can utilize both physical and electronic forms of media on the web.