When is blogging journalism ?

Hi all, welcome to my blog again. Haven’t been posting for a while.

Preparing for the presentation for my class paper. I’ve made a power point presentation talk about this topic:When is blogging  journalism. his post is the highlight of my main rhetoric. Leave your comment !

Distinctions	Journalists	Bloggers
Job Nature	Full-time paid job with stable income	Part-timers with no/ unstable minimal sum of income
Financial Resource	From investor, advertisers, readers and board of director	Bloggers’ bank account/ wallet and online advertisements (if any)
Organization Background	Usually work under division of labour as a team player	One-man band, working everything from scratch.
Legal Responsibility	May face lawsuit in case of inaccuracy/ unethical in reporting	May face critics from fellow bloggers or readers

Distinctions	Journalists	Bloggers
Role	Source of news to mass audiences	Source of information/ opinion to niche targeted audiences
Knowledge base	Wider coverage, specialization of multiple expertises	Specialized in single or narrower coverage of knowledge expertise
Source of information	Events happening around the world	Mainly from news reported in the media
Practise	Follow professional practises: - selection of news stories - thoroughness of news coverage,  – objectivity in reporting	Follow personal preference: - selection of news stories -      thoroughness of news coverage, -      objectivity in reporting

Watch this video to make out the difference between citizen journalists and journalists.

To Sum up:

• Blog is another tool available for audiences to   gather new information
• Blogs and journalism are generically similar in their function, but they are very different indeed
• The relationship between blog and journalism is mutually dependent

What is your say?

10 attributes that 21st century journalists need to possess.

Who wants to be a journalist? What drives their choice? It is out of the three main reasons. According to a survey done from the article in 2002: Who are journalist, that “one’s love towards writing“, “Enjoy gathering and reporting news “and the “desire to make a difference and to correct the wrong by bringing up injustice to public’s attention“. So journalists do play an important role in relation to the public and the audience as well. The predominant role of a journalist is to bring up each news story to the public with objectiveness and truthfulness with a particular angle to cover the story base on the media and among organizations. For this reason, we have to focus here the skills should journalists possess for getting the job well done? In fact, the attributes of a good journalist is well- defined throughout the development and evolvement of journalism history. The essential attributes that journalists need are well set out by authority in the field or experienced journalist. Equipping with these attributes, a journalist would definitely be respectable and recognize by the profession. But as we all know that things had changed now. Journalists nowadays are required to possess new set of skills. Please don’t get me wrong! Let’s put it in this way, If Ayrton Senna was still alive, he probably could not even beat Mark Webber in the circuit by using the same car he use when he was the world champion. Even if Senna has the experience and skills in racing, probably his car is too old to compete with Webber’s cutting edge stage of an art 2009 Formula 1 car RB5. What I am just trying to say that it is good for a journalist to “update” their “extensions” of the attributes a journalists needed. Here are the 10 important updates found. (No restart is required after installation!)

1.     Good Team Player: Nowadays in the newsroom, everyone has their own role and their own boundaries. To produce quality journalism in the newsroom is a team effort. From interviewing to writing, from taking photograph to editing. Also, journalist nowadays has to take up more work as they need to work on the website as well. In such a busy working environment, everyone has to functioning well in their part and work out the “project” that play the influential role in the society- providing facts and news around the world o the journal public. They may just have a few hours to report the whole story from scratch. In this case, journalists nowadays need to be “approachable person” and “more than happy to help each other” In order to work on the “project” they have to finish every single day.  (source: “Do the lovable Larrikin live?, AJR 28(1), pp. 67-78)

2.     Computer Literacy: With the birth of internet for 20 years, the role of it is now emerging as one of the most popular tool for people to look for information. There is no exception towards news. According to The state of news media 2009. That developing online for the newspaper is now “unavoidable” and it is the norm for journalism in 21^st century. With this trend unfolding and expect to strengthen. Computer literacy is the quintessential element for journalist now. Not only you have to “compatible” to all relevant softwares, but now journalists have also need to know the principles in updating and adding element in the web page. Most of the online news site now is running 24/7. A faster and more frequent update mean your website have an edge compare with other. In such a industry environment. No one could excuse themselves in adopting such a skill in order to survive in this field

3.     Globalised vision with localize reporting: Media around the world is now heading to the era of digitalisation. In a way they are heading to hybrid mode that adding additional elements (such as interactive website) into their own type of media. This is the current global trend that every journalist should equip and prepare them for. Including the media which serve a specific region/ community. Consider the fact how the role of media is important to a community. With news around the world, the nation or the state and as well as their local community. By adding localize insight in a piece of report and fitting the news to the view of the target audiences. It would definitely be more meaningful, recognizable and comprehensible by the local community. The spreading of news information will be more precise and could generate more engagement and feedbacks from their audiences. It is a both win situation for media and the audiences

4.     Knowing your audience: Because the flow of information nowadays is so convenience that even now you could get the news anywhere even from the toilet without carrying anything but just the mobile phone. Audiences could listen to sound clips, watch video clips or read the RSS feed.  They could now get any new information around the world as it happens almost anywhere and anytime from their preferred source. The trend now for audience too get news is not solely from one single source. In other word, they proactively search for news around different medium via search engine such as Google.

The trend now, is tremendously different comparing to the past.

Media is now heading to the pole of fulfilling what their audience wanted instead of what they needed to know anymore. Plus they could have their own say for expressing opinion. That means audience are now engage more in the news than ever before. Unlike the original role of media, this is base on the concept of conveying common sensual information according to Williams G in his publication British media: how they are related news is the tool in reflecting reality; construing “hegemony”- “a lived system of meaning and values… Our shaping perceptions of ourselves and our world.” Now, they are information provider that adopting the attitude of “come and get what you wanted and have your say” instead of “come to me because you need this”.

Journalists need to provide what people like to have and enhance their engagement is the thing they can’t miss and ignore anymore.

5.     Write concisely, accurately and impartially: Good writing skill for journalists in a sense similar to having good cooking skills for chef. They are complementary and essential. It is a requirement that journalists always have to possess all the time. The thing we have to consider now is the definition of “good”. Does writing a news like a academic article means the piece of writing is good? We are now using simpler language, shorter passage and sentence. Or even using point form in illustrating a piece of news. Journalists should now being able to write concisely and accurately. To fulfil the wants of audience- to get the information as it happen and as fast as they want. It saves time for both parties and it is mutual beneficial. However, writing concisely should not be an expense for accuracy. Not neglecting the two commandments of journalist- accuracy and impartiality. This two is the core qualities that journalist should stick with even in this ever changing working environment.

6.     Professionalism: Being a journalist has an important role in society. News must be true accurate and timely developed. Media is developing in a way that is become stronger, faster and better. The growth of information technology shed the light for many people, claiming themselves as “journalists” in their blog, such claim stirred up controversy. While audiences could leave comments in the internet in responding to particular news or expressing their opinion, which enable communication between journalists and audiences. Also, the inclusion of amateur footages/ material is not rare in the media nowadays. The boundary between a reader and a journalist are now blurred. However, The main watershed dividing up blogger and real journalist lies in one word- “professionalism”. The thing we have to remind ourselves is, are blogger real journalists? Should we consider their work as legitimate? Do they have verified all the information disclosed in the story. Is the news obtained in an ethical way according to professional standard? These are all the question that journalist has to think deeply before totally embracing the future of journalism. After all, a well- trained professional journalist will use their distinctive “digestive system” to absorb the critical information and discard those unsuitable materials out of the news report. The main “organ” of the digestive system for a journalist is “ethics”. Which journalist could obtain from both journalist schools and in the work place and from their personal experience.

7.     Marketability: Imagine journalist as a sponge, they absorb the detail in each piece of news story in a fast manner. They then filter the information. Seasons the news with preferred angle of the organization. Adjust the tone so as to suit the “taste” to their audience and target market segment. The ability to write up a piece of news in an appropriate angle and elaborate it to a whole story. It is essential skill that journalists must possess. The angle provides audience a shared context in reading the news, the context where audiences feel good and comfortable is one of the building blocks for media organization. Without the angle and all the seasoning in that very piece of news would make it tasteless and homogenous. Audiences would not buy it because this is not what they wanted or expected from the particular source. Producing news with angle is all in all like the way we dress. It expresses the identity and the image of one media organization preferred. Not to mention is the optimization of headline with SEO. In response to audiences’ preference of getting news online.

8.     Energetic and devoted to their job: If a time clock is deemed to be one of the greatest inventions by a HR manager. The case will not be applied in any newsroom of 21^st century. We are now entering an era that valuing real time reporting. Whenever there are news, journalists have to proactively get it reported as soon as possible. Exclusive news would be even better and giving edge and building up positive image of the organization. Journalist needs to be energetic, loyal and enthusiastic. They have to be energetic and to stay alert all the time. Getting ready for the possibilities of reporting breaking news is quintessential. No matter you are on vocation, dinning with partners, playing with kids or even sleeping. Just one call you will have to get to your position and fighting in the war of media.

9.     Be open-mind and willing to learn new things: Journalists nowadays working under in ever- changing working environment. Not only have they had to learn everything new happening around the world and get it reported in professionally. But also they have to prepare for facing new technology emerges from the world. A photographer who capture a picture and develop in darkroom 20 years ago will not like the concept of digital camera in the first place. They would always think their camera is simply the best and even think they are inseparable. But keep in mind that to keeping the pace with the world is unavoidable. The most important for journalists is to keep open mind and curious. Keeping updated and learn to use every new tool for media. Equip with new skill will definitely enhance compatibility among journalists. Also, it helps developing the ability in working multi- media platform.

10. Be the all round journalist: Gone are the day the journalist can only focus what specific area of topic they are going to report, and you are working with the same photographer in your department. You are now working on your own. Working for the brand which under your name. Setting up a profile that only belongs to you but no one else. Spreading out your social network. Beef up your contact in your blackberry. With the current financial trend and the uniquely new working environment of media nowadays. Journalists need to take up more and more responsibilities now with less resource and headcount available. Typically they have to updating website, uploading video/ sound clips, writing their own script for news report to shooting video and pictures from the scene. Basically a journalist is like a one man band. They are now working for themselves under the context of the media organization. The role of journalist now changes from a manufacturer to now a designer and executor. Doing so aid building their own brand and image in the profession of journalist. (The reason is if you get laid off, you could still have the contact and image for looking for something else).

That was the ten attribute that personally think are crucial to journalists of 21^st century. May the force be with you!

Is there a life line for newspaper industry?

Save yourself

Yes, we can’t deny that the newspaper is now in its downfall. If you talk a look at the report that announce by the future of Journalism or The State of Media 2009 Annual Report. The circulation of the papers is declining; the revenue from ad is decreasing. Many newspaper publishers are facing heavy financial pressure and they keep cutting their staff. To be a Journalist is never easy now, with the emergence of the internet, the “habit” of readers gradually shifts to Online. So they journalist have to adopt the change and put the news online as well. Tough and risky job, isn’t it? So you now know why Superman’s daytime job is journalist!

The change of reader’s/ consumer’s attitude towards news is enormous. With the extensive development of Information technology in the past 20 years, information are being “liberated” without the control by bunch of people related to the field. Journalist in printed media are now experiencing a revolution. Reader now realize what they NEED and WANT. Just simply go to their preferred search engine and type in the search keyword. With the blink of eyes, information is ready to read. They could get this so handy and convenience that they could do almost everywhere they WANT and anytime they WANT. Information is now abundant, is sort of overflowing. The problem now is does reader WANT to read the article.

So let’s put ourselves into newspaper journalists’ shoes, imagine if you are in your 40s, you gave the best 10 years to your company. You have quite a few good pieces of work under your belt. Now you are facing the risk losing your job. You just can’t sit right there and wait for the judgment day. So what can you do? Like what Barack Obama said during the election campaign: “we need Change!” Learn to work on the new things, learn how to upload video, sound clips and update the website. Join the Facebook and twitter. Start socializing in the social networking system online and building up a new kind of network that encourage and embrace real time multiple ways communication. Most importantly, start a blog. Write what you want to write about everything, keep open minded. Embrace the opportunities in communication and discuss with the readers of your book all around the world. So, there are too many blog here in the internet, aren’t they? Yes, but it is the best way for packaging yourself, creating a platform for the readers to reader. Because they buy your attitude, your way of seeing things, why don’t you use the chance to market yourself? It’s free of charge. Marketing and promoting yourself online is a good way to gain more exposure of your image and identity in both internet and the printed media. It would be unable to imagine how many comments will there be if John Motson starts his own blog (but he’s in myspace.com, for detail click here)

Great! You saved yourself by adopting some positive changes in catching up the ace of the ever changing industry. But wait, don’t you forget you are on a boat in a voyage that new things are going to happen everything second. It is good for us to learn something new and better equip ourselves for getting a better chance of success. But don’t forget we are sailing, so what if the boat sink?

No matter it is just a clipper (local newspaper) or in a giant cruise (national newspaper). Under the current situation and development in the trend, we’re now sailing in the rough sea and in the middle of troubled water. Here are

another blog post I read about the things that newspapers could do for helping themselves. This is not to criticize how newspaper is affected by the internet

The main thing in this blog here is to help change the prospective and the attitude toward the development of internet. They could work in complement. Blog could be an extension of story towards the matter covered in newspaper. It also enables the direct communication between writer and reader. By using this communication, journalist could also use the resource in the online discussion to formulate a piece of comment in newspaper.

p.s. Speaking of the revolution of information and the availability of information in different specialized area. There are some interesting findings about the new norm in USA- the emergence of info shoppers. I think the reason behind such a norm is similar to the online newspaper reader. They know what they WANT! They could make choice to fulfil their needs.

Hey Gossip, how are you doing in the media industry?

Gossip, the word that we love to hate or hate to love, we love it and we hate it at the same time. It is almost trivia but yet I feel some kind of disconnected in case if I didn’t know about the latest gossip in school or in my hall of resident. Why is it so important? What is the magic behind? Because we all like to learn about others’ privacy,  like who was drunk last Friday and did what sort of thing to someone. Who wears the biggest muffin top etc…

Base on our preference of comparing with others. We are all pretty keen to learn and laugh at those gossip. For a gossip to be a gossip, it has to be something happened on someone which compare to your situation is treated as worse off then what you are  (e.g. someones muffin top is larger than mine is consider to be worse off to me in comparing). However, we hate gossip since we have the fear of being the topic of gossip!

This little word- gossip is almost magical!

It almost is the next topic after the hottest one – today’s weather (for more detail about topics among new friends/ strange in English culture please refer to the book “Watching The English“) But the thing is, where can you find all the gossip when there are no ones story  worth to “share” among your friends. No worries. Here we come, tabloid.
This magical paper provides endless topics for everyone of us. How could they do that?  The answer is easy, just go for the celebrities. Because we all know who are they!

We all seemed happy to learn about negative news of celebrities based on the rationale above. But the truth is, are those celebrities really in trouble. Is it the case if you are married and you happened to be sitting alone in a cafe and reading a book with your drink, could deemed to be “have problem with his wife”?? Should I believe what the tabloid, or shouldn’t I? Is it ethical for such behaviour of story making if case is not supoosed to be in those tabloid/ gossip magazine? For more information. You could refer to the book written by Margaret Simmons, The Content Maker: understanding the media in Australia, 2007. P. 53- 53 “Celebrities and morality”

The long time struggle of me for whether to believe what I seen from tabloid about celebrities seemed to be relieved.    I am glad to listened to a guest speaker in class last week, she was a experienced entertainment reporter.  According to Caron the speaker, of most the stories in the gossip column in newspaper of those news in tabloid, are made up. There are some indicator that you could find in the article if the key term like ” a source close to someone said”. The source will be the journalist’s mind and her keyboard. So why people still like it? It is all base on our preference in knowing something bad happened in others especially public figures. In case we could make ourselves feel better when knowing their privacy and creating a kind of feeling that ” getting closer” or have the sensitive nose in those events happened on people who are under the limelight. And it is a good way to kill time too (You will know how useful is a gossip magazine when traveling from the place I live to the city.

The power of word could be tremendous, it could manufacture a celebrity, it could also destroy a celebrity. It all depends on the editor’s preference. With the emerging trend for media to manufacture star via the launch of reality show. Tabloid/ gossip magazine seemed to be the alternative source for them to gain higher exposure and hence one step closer to the limelight. Or vice verse.

The creditability of information in almost all gossip news are in doubt. In reflecting the nature of gossip news, is it something what the audience really need to know?

p.s. I don’t get the idea why the following news did not appear in any of the Tabloid/ gossip magazine

Good morning, news and breakfast is ready on the table, sir.

No one eats their cornflake/cereal plain for breakfast. The common thing we probably add is milk .Yea, tell me about it! I mean what will you do in the morning when you are having your breakfast? Perhaps the classic match in the morning, like cat and fish, would be newspaper with your breakfast.  the reason is simple. It provides what reader need and they also choose what to read . Sometimes the interesting thing is you could come up with an interesting article coincidentally or by chance through skimming of the paper. Or just because the news is placed d media, newspaperin the front page that draw your attention.

It is a very old school mode of media which serve as a device to bring the story of the “world outside” to the general public. In fact, the enhancement of the printing technology played a key role in the development of newspaper. makes the circulation of news become more vibrant.  OK, why I should trust what the newspaper said then? Are they really…uh, trustworthy? The rationale behind news reporting in the paper is based on the common sensual information that are shared by both the journalist and the readers. In other word, there are certain degree of consensus between readers and the journalist. By using such a common ground between the reader and the journalist it makes each particular piece of news comprehensible.

Newspaper, in holding such a huge responsibility. Require a high degree of self discipline in keeping the news article truly reflected the real situation and information to their readers. They are taking the active role in controlling the flow of information. they are the authority to control whether information around the world be release to the general public or not!

What’s more, it is possible for different newspaper publishers to adopt their own reporting strategy, perspect and rhetoric in bringing out the story. Such move maintains the perceived stance, attitude, image and identity to their target audience. Hence , is those who find a mental connection with that particular source. (Say for example, some prefer to read The Age while some may prefer Herald Sun)

Hang on a second! Is that what you say that newspaper is important because they are the authority and controlling the information to release to the public. Wasn’t there any means of media could serve the same function? Say for example, TV, radio and the Internet as well? The answer is “yes, but…”

Undoubtedly, with the advancement of technology. Different mode of media such as TV broadcasting, and Internet emerge and provide much more handy, less time consuming and easier way to get to know what s happening in reality.  You could always get the news from those medium anytime and almost anywhere as you like it. It could actually gives what you need if one is aimed to get some specific information from those sources. Want to know about how is the weather going today? Search in the Internet. Want news in real action in which does not bound by word and photo only? turn on your TV and switch to your favourite news channel. Simple! Just several click of your finger tips, you could get all the information just you WANTED. Because you are given the choice of whether to read. Or just watch the news from TV whatever they give you.

Obviously, there are something missing in the new media. But what? Reading the newspaper everyday is just like receiving education of common sense everyday. There are always something new for reader to get from. In which it is all essential to keep the people of the world updated. The among of knowledge you get will depends on the time you read the newspaper. Supposedly, the more time you spend in reading newspaper everyday, the better will you make sense of what is happening around the world. (But I suppose there are very few people could actually read all the articles in the newspaper everyday. ) Not only getting wide range of information we need everyday, but also some other unique sections that traditionally appear in the newspaper such as editorial, letter to editor, investigation reporting, feature news that one will find irreplaceable due to the unique context and the scene of newspaper set up. From The critical analytic skill of the editor, the rhetoric in using word as a neutral tool in unfolding the story , the arrangement of sentence and the structure of each article. They are all available through professional training exclusively available from newspaper publisher.similar to making a cup of hand craft Cappuccino. Apart from the beverage(content, nature of the news), the skill of the barista (journalist) While the instant cappuccino flavour drink is incomparable.

G’day!

Hi everyone,

As a first year post graduate student of La Trobe University in Global Communication. Glad to share my opinion and thought towards the subject by using this blog. Hope this blog could serve as a platform for discussing, commenting. And most importantly, the main aim of setting up this blog is for exchange of opinion among all interested parties.

This blog will be updated after each lecture/ meeting in class.

Please do leave me your cmment. Will be highly appreciate in listening from everyone of you!