Crossing boundaries of new media and journalism: Opportunity or Crisis?

“How many times you read newspaper per week?” Well, it is kind of old-fashioned question to learn about newspaper readership. 

It is supposed to be asked “How many times you read online newspaper every day?” For today’s phenomena, many readers are more likely to scroll down an online newspaper rather than flip through the printed newspaper. I am also one of them who like to subscribe to online newspaper daily.

The new form of online newspaper is known as ‘networked journalism’ are increasingly visible in Malaysia’ society. We are being informed that this new form of journalism is emerging in line with the spread of new media platforms of all kinds such as bloggers and ‘user-generated content’ of citizen journalist. The gradually reduce of traditional reader has bring in the decline in circulation for all mainstream media. Perhaps, it is no longer to see the old folk reading the newspaper while drinking the kopi-O in the kopitiam after another 10 years? Then the journalist is struggling to adhere to both their professionalism and creative idea of how to increase readership to compete with the citizen journalist.

In 1997, Utusan Malaysia had launched its online version of ‘Utusan Malaysia On-Line’. It is Malaysia first online newspaper to enable reader to read exactly replicas of its printed newspaper. Until today, Sin Chew Jit Poh, China Press, The Star, New Straits Times and other mainstream media have also joined the online newspaper to stand firmly after the emergence of new media.  

The Star online portal (Image Source: http://www.thestar.com.my)

Working practices have slightly transformed because of highly demand to keep update for instant news. Journalists may still have feature stories to write but multi-media platform to feed: Twitter, Facebook, web, blogs. If you ask me whether the flourishing of bloggers as the citizen journalist will weaken the influence of mainstream media? My answer is blogging won’t wipe out journalism because journalism requires skills and concrete resources that bloggers are lack of. But it can improve the practice of traditional media to take the new forms of reporting.

The journalist takes the challenges to collaborate with the social media for the source of breaking news. The engagement of mainstream media with the content from social media networks such as Flickr, Twitter and YouTube has been included in online newspaper. However, the relying of journalist on the social media untrue sources is lead to the reader heavily criticized on misleading information and questioned about their professionalism. The reader believes the mainstream media to report the solely solid gold facts. So, take it in wise way, journalist should use the social networks intelligently to see what others know but avoid the untruthful information.

In short, to all the online users not only the journalist, own checking and verification are still need to happen in the use of social media too. 

New Media Journalism, the Changing phase.

Journalism has always been recognized as a credible profession. As every single source that it publicizes need to be verified before a statement were given, its reliability is among of the highest in daily information sources. However, the new technology has slowly overtaken the traditional way of approaching journalism, coming out with new media journalism. Nowadays, especially significant in big cities, paper-printed press and newspaper has slowly lost its popularity. In the other hand, electronic news has been widely accepted for its convenience, price and environmental friendlier since it saves the use of paper.

Although the popularity of printed newspaper has gone down, it is still accepted in certain group of people. This is due to the credibility and richness of news that it always holds to. Especially for broadsheet press, they have never compromised about verifying source reliability. Perhaps every single statement that it gives were seen and checked by thousand of readers, to make sure it doesn’t spread rumours and fake information. Most of the big companies require their public relations or communication department to check every day press so that every single story the press publishes in the newspaper does not spoil their company’s reputation. Any unverifiable or untrue statement will be brought to court to protect their reputation. We have seen plenty of slander court cases in local and also in other countries. To tackle with such heavy pressure, journalists have to bear in mind that every single word written is attached with proof and evidence. Pro and cons. Pro is that the press keep to its credibility to every single details, whereas cons is the newspaper attain less sensational elements as most of the news published must be from verifiable sources.

However, the electronic news receives a different treatment. The electronic news are seen as instant, convenient and sensational. Compared to the printed press, electronic publishing did not get much control from government regarding it source reliability. Often the news was more casual in writing style. It is more like telling you stories that happened around you, rather than reporting details. Adding that recent new media journalism has blend with stories from blogs, commentaries, social networking and online news. And yet, everyone can write their own stories, and their speculation regarding the issue. Recent happening of missing flight MH370 show how viral that fake information and rumour can spread through electronics. Basically everyone has their own opinion and their own speculation regarding the issue, and they will write their thoughts and ideas of how things happen. Some of them even created stories that the missing plane was found and passengers were saved. Readers could have shared these false information to their social networks and to those people around them. Thus, electronic news do not receive high credibility as compared to printed news when readers realize that not all news from the electronics are reliable. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why people still choose printed news over the electronic news. Nevertheless, some of the print-news press developed their very own electronics news in order to follow the new media journalism trend. Their electronic news were synchronized with the news that are going to be published in the printed. Thus these electronic news were also referred as credible news sources. And more people are going for electronic news subscription due to it’s lower price, conveniency and instant.

Although there are certain people still holding to print-newspaper, but the prints did not show positive and promising numbers in its popularity and market in recent years. If you ask me what’s my opinion regarding the future od the prints, I would say that it will end and become a history or even antiques someday. The electronic journalism will totally overtake its market. But the unknown is, how long will it take for that to happen? My guess, perhaps in 10 to 15 years. By the time, probably the new media journalism will change into another form.

Vlog 1: 9 things that students will do in lectures

Since smartphones have been invented, the device has become the essential tool for students in class. But how many of us really utilize the functions in our smartphones in the classes? Let's see

In this video we can see that most of the students are playing their smartphones rather than using the smartphones in a useful way, such as staring at phones, playing games or taking selfies.

Your Smartphone is not everything

Your Smartphone is not everything. Are you one of Smartphone addicts??

In the past, we use computer to search internet, use mobile phone to talk. With the development of communication device such as mobile phone, the online consumption pattern of people is changing gradually. We start to see people holding their Smartphone or tablets when they are walking, talking, eating, or whatever they are doing. On contrary, people less to use computer or perhaps a laptop to search internet since a Smartphone is always more convenience compared to a laptop which is quite heavy to bring along. Initially people use mobile phones to make calls, send message and text message. Today’s, the function of a mobile phone is closer to a handled computer. A Smartphone meet people’s requirement for its variety of function, big screen, and all sorts of rising expectations. By using a Smartphone, people are able to online whenever they want. They can read a book online, chat with friends by using a chatting apps, upload photos once they take, share their feeling in social network or even shopping. There are too many things we can do by just sliding the screen of the Smartphone. 

Because of this, the attention of people is always on the screen of a Smartphone more than the people around him or her. It is very common in nowadays we see a group of people having a dinner but each of them is so busy to chat with their friends (not the friends who having dinner with them) online through all kinds of chatting apps such as Wechat, Line, Whatapps and other,  taking the photo of the food and uploads to the social network, update their status, check-in, or viewing the Facebook and else. Do you think this is a normal phenomenon? For me, of course it is not and is very unhealthy. The habits of life of people are changing and unfortunately they do not find it is a problem for that. Communication between people is less since all they people are looking at the screen of a Smartphone rather then the people around them. They chose to chat with friends online rather than spend time with the people around them. We are changed by the Smartphone and definitely it is not a good change! How long you have not looked at the sky that is much more beautiful than the ‘world’ inside your screen?  So, don’t over-reliance on your mobile phones. It is more worth to enjoy the nice scenery around you and talk face to face with your beloved friends and family members!

The Digital Inequality

Digital Age has begun more than a decade. However, according to the NEW YORK TIMES DAILY REPORT (2013), the Obama administration has poured billions of dollars into expanding the reach of the Internet, and nearly 98 percent of American homes now have access to some form of high-speed broadband. But tens of millions of people are still on the sidelines of the digital revolution, Edward Wyatt reports.

Digital Inequality in another word also means that there is the inequality toward the digital access by all the people. Some people got the internet access anywhere, anytime, but some still facing the problems of the internet access.

Beside the unavailable of the internet access, some digital inequality also means that some people doesn't know how to use the digital and the technology facilities. Compare with teenager, most of the golden citizen are not familiar with the digital technology. Teenager read news or do their finding in the webpage, however, golden citizen would prefer reading news through newspaper.

According to DiMaggio, Hargittai, Celeste, and Shafer (2001), there are four ways that the technology change may social change.

First, Competence destruction increases inequality. Second, New technologies reduce inequality by generating demand for more skilled workers. Third, New technologies influence inequality indirectly by altering the structure of political interests and the capacity of groups to mobilize. Fourth, New technologies enhance social equality by democratizing consumption.


Reference:

DiMaggio P.; Hargittai E.; Celeste C.; and Shafer S. (2001).  From Unequal Access to Differentiated Use: A Literature Review and Agenda for Research on Digital Inequality. Russell Sage Foundation.
http://www.eszter.com/research/pubs/dimaggio-etal-digitalinequality.pdf

New York Times (August 19, 2013). Daily Report: ‘Digital Inequality’ Holds Back Millions in U.S. http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/08/19/daily-report-digital-inequality-holds-back-millions-in-u-s/ (Last Accessed: 10 March 2014)

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)

By: Low Pei Yee and Chan Xin Ling

Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) is a fairly new way of communicating. CMC only requires electronic devices like computers, mobile phones and Smart Phones. As we can see that, nowadays most of the people are using technology devices to communicate or interact with others. Even senior citizens have to learn how to use the devices such as video calling, messaging, typing, and taking photos in order to get to update the news from their friends and families online. 

However, do CMC really enhance human? Or the other way round? We all know CMC does not require any verbal communication skills, non-verbal communication skills such as gestures, facial expressions and eye contacts do not play a part.

Doubtless CMC gives us a sense of security when we are chatting with people we do not know in real life. We can say whatever we want, shares our deepest secrets, gossip about other people with them and not to be responsible for that. It is also a good choice to communicate with others electronically. This is because, for those people who are hated being confronted; not good in expressing themselves or when they are very emotional in the middle of the conversation, all they can do is just type whatever they want to say to express their feelings. This helps them to tell others how they think. But, this may leads to the inability to express ourselves appropriately when we are facing people in real life.

When we get used to CMC we no longer have the communication skills in real life due to lack of implementation. As verbal and non-verbal communication is very crucial in our daily lives, we need to interact or communicate with real people, instead of technology devices. People would become emotionless if there is overuse of CMC and lack of real life communication.

Computer mediated communication vs Face to face communication

Computer mediated communication vs Face to face communication

Nowadays people are connected with modern technology such as smart phone, iPad and tablets. People rely too heavily on the convenience of emails, text messages, and social media. We cannot deny the importance of these technologies and how they have revolutionized our communication. How would people being with these existing devices?

Computer – mediated communication (CMC) is a process in which human data interaction occurs through one or more networked telecommunication systems. A CMC interaction occurs through various types of networking technology software such as email, Facebook, instant messaging (IM) and so on so forth.

Besides that, face to face communication can be defined as communication when the communicator transmits his message in person to the receiver in person verbally and even non-verbally. There are many types of face to face communication such as:

1.      Interviews

2.      Meetings

3.      Conferences

4.      Seminars

5.      Workshops

6.      Classroom lectures

7.      Stage-acting

8.      Public lectures, etc.

However, CMC and face to face communication have its pros and cons as well. First of all, CMC technology saves time and money as we can send our messages in a quick way and globally. We are not necessary to reach to the destination just to send our messages to the people. However, CMC is lack of interpretation due to the absence of verbal communication. People may misinterpret the messages because of it.  

Face to face communication can boost efficiency of work instead of bouncing back emails for an entire day. We can find the solution and discuss the details when we are in face to face communication. In fact, it is over 90% of our communication is through nonverbal communication such as body gestures and face expression. According to Dr.Nass, a professor of communication at Stanford said that a basic human ability is reading one another’s faces, which helps people deal with confrontation and conflict in an immediate and healthy way. We can directly see their face expression and body gestures when they are delivering their messages to us. However, if the problem did not solve properly, it may also cause misinterpretation within people as well.

Consequently, both CMC and face to face communication is essential in our life in delivering the messages to others. However, we have to balance the use of them based on the situation and also the limitation.   

GPS, a Helper or a Joker?

The Global Positioning System, which is very known as GPS, is a system that can provide information of location and time without affecting by the weather in 98% accuracy. It is fast, effective and save our time. Nowadays, GPS is accessible via smart phone and we use it to guide the direction and the way to go a place. However, there are advantages and disadvantages of using GPS. GPS can be a helper in your life, guides you to the fastest and most accurate way to arrive to your desired destination. In the same time, it can also be a joker too, guide you to a definitely wrong way and create funny stories that can never imagined of. Which one is yours?

Although GPS helps lots in showing direction, sometimes it will show the wrong way and when users depend too much on it, accidents could happen. For instance, in the GPS, some system bugs will happen. If it is not systemed that the road is a one-way direction, it will led the user to turn into the road, making it to drive the direct opposite way, then accident could easily happen. 

Besides, when people are relying on GPS, they would not recognize the way by themselves. Take myself as an example. There’s one time that I’m using the trending navigation app, Waze. I’m not really good in Kuching traffics, so I drive much depending on the GPS. So the GPS guided me, and it asked me to keep left of the road. But according to usual route, it is supposed to be keeping right. But time doesn’t allow me to think it thoroughly, so I decided to follow the GPS guide. I was astonished that the road is actually bringing me to another area which requires paying toll. So I spent about RM 4, just to get a U-turn, and I could have saved 20 minutes driving if I do not listen to the GPS. As the saying goes, it only provides 98% accuracy, so if the 2% accuracy goes wrong, please do use your mind to overcome it.

In addition, if there is no internet provided, then the GPS cannot be functioned. People who always rely on GPS would get lost as they cannot recognize their way. I tried this several times too, especially in the small lanes. Often when it gets no internet, the GPS will assume that you are getting into the right way. So often I will drive straight, and suddenly the GPS will notify: “Turn left”. When I am alerted that I should turn left, the junction is almost over, and to do a sudden break or pull it over is just too dangerous. The consequence is I have to make a big turn to get to the same point.

In my stand, I am not to say that the GPS is not a good tool. But as a smart road user, we should always use GPS carefully and wisely. Yield this navigation tool as you can, but always be aware, do not let it to yield over you. Personally, I recommend people only to use GPS when you are new to the place. But when the navigation guide seems strange and makes little sense, believe and drive according to your instinct. After all, the best navigation tool is still your mind. Drive safe.  

Is technology makes us less human?

In 21^st century, technology is not just everywhere around us, but is a need for human being to continue survive. With the advanced of the technology, human became less socialized. 
 

If we take a look back for 20years, when there is a world mobile phone still not famous, kids are playing chess, kids are running here and there, or even in the coffee shops, people are directly interaction with the face to face communication. 

Nowadays, people are now so-called the screenager, which means people are facing the screen (mobile screen/desktop screen) more often. Nowadays, children are no longer chasing here and there to gain fun. They are all now spending their time with the phone, pad, and those electronic devices. They are now also fall into the screenager categories.

While facing the screenager, people also described their feeling as “the furthest distance in the world is when I am aside you, but you do care your gadget/devices rather than me.”  

Yes, technology could affect relationship as well. Just imagine, when you are in a date, but your partner is busy with Facebook, WeChat, or Line. The lack of face to face communication is the disadvantages of the appearance of the technology. Never to deny, social network let us stayed contact with anyone in the world. However, words, emotion, or even the stickers could not let us share our real feeling. According to the research done by the LINE corporate in 2013, most of the people have no face emotion while they are sending the emotional stickers. 

Of course, technology is making human more comfortable in human lifestyle. Heavy, duty and dangerous works are now worked by technology. So, here comes the question. If everything is assigned to technology, to machine, then what else human still can do? Human would become lazier?

For now, human claimed that technology is now the best creation of human. Those programs which works in technology, seldom makes mistake and technology could perform better than the human brains now. There is a past experiment. To test either human could be more intelligent than the technology; the scientist assigned the best Chess player in the world to fight with the technology. The result showed that the best player could not defeat the computer but he draw with the computer. This is a surprise result. The scientist concluded that the technology in the world continues its development, but human brains are not. How if the technology in further are better than human?

Yes, never to deny, technology did help us a lots. Technology turns us to have an easier life. However, is that human are now already too dependent to the technology? Is the technology makes us less human? 

Below, is the analysis of the appearance of the technology of our group. 

Advantages:

Ø  Help people access more information and get it faster

Ø  Can increase the human communication

Ø  Can speed up the people work

Ø  Increase the world economic

Disadvantages:

Ø  Less value in human workers

Ø  Influence human healthy

Ø  Environment pollution

 

So, let’s think about it.