Technological advancements have affected every aspect of our society. Machines have steadily replaced manual labor, while smartphones and apps have allowed services such as Uber and Lyft to disrupt traditional taxi companies. Journalism is no different, with newspaper circulation declining steadily as readers increasingly turn to online media and blogs.
The internet has completely transformed how companies and individuals can reach out, with its quick nature enabling media outlets to grow their profits by giving out the news through online articles. As a result, newspaper sales have declined dramatically.
Technology has fundamentally transformed the ways in which people get their news. Mobile phones have not only made sharing news quicker and more efficient, but they have also changed the way we can record news. Mobile apps, digital cameras, and social media have all made recording content extremely easy and accessible, and media outlets have had to adapt to this new landscape. Modern journalists and writers must use digital media and platforms to tell stories and transmit news to the public. Let’s take a look at why modern journalist needs to leverage technology to be successful in their career paths.
Modern Journalists Need to Evolve With New and Relevant Skills
In 2021, Pew Research Center released a report that found that 86% of American adults get news from digital devices such as smartphones, computers, or tablets, with 26% doing so “sometimes” and 60% saying they do so “often”. The same report said that just 32% say they get their news from print publications, with a mere 10% saying they get news from print publications often.
In the recent past, multimedia and digital skills were a bonus to journalists and editors. In today’s world, however, they are a necessity. Young journalists hoping to break into the industry and have a successful career must have the requisite skills to function in multiple areas as journalism continues to evolve.
To be competitive in the modern landscape of digital journalism, there are essential skills you must be equipped with to create original stories for traditional and digital media. Those who wish to break into the industry can look to college journalism programs, such as those offered by St. Bonaventure University, which are evolving rapidly alongside the industry in order to give students the best chance of graduating and securing a job in journalism.
These programs not only teach students the basic and essential skills of journalism, such as writing, interviewing, and reporting, but they also go far beyond that. They teach young journalists important skills, such as reporting stories effectively with the use of social media, along with skills that will help them stand out even further, such as being adept with coding and other digital elements.
How Social Media Has Changed Journalism
Social media has been perhaps the greatest change for journalists as a result of the internet disrupting traditional journalism. Social media enables journalists to open up direct social dialogues with fans and readers – and vice versa. As personalities, it blurs the lines between their personal and professional lives, making some journalists more personable and accessible.
In the past, breaking news came by way of radio or television. Now, platforms like Twitter allow breaking news stories to be reported without any delay. Even without breaking news, a large portion of people are getting their news from social media. Journalists and editors must recognize that and adapt accordingly.
Reporting stories in real-time on social media is a remarkable tool for journalists. Court cases, such as the recent Johnny Depp v. Amber Heard trial, can be reported by journalists via Twitter directly to the public instantly. Live tweeting in threads is an excellent example of journalists becoming tech-savvy and reacting to how the public consumes news in the modern world.
Mobile Journalism Is Here to Stay
The way in which stories are told is also changing. More and more outlets are making use of podcasts – audio programs available over the internet – to tell stories. As a lack of investment and declining audiences have hampered journalism, podcasting has become as much a part of journalism as print.
The smartphone has made sure that journalists in today’s world need mobile journalism skills, and it has also made journalists more flexible in how they report stories. For example, war or crisis reporting can be done simply with a mobile phone and its camera, directly capturing footage and transmitting reports.
Mobile journalism skills are particularly relevant in the current climate. Post-pandemic, many journalists are expected to focus on developing new skills in smartphone technologies and dealing with new technical and editorial challenges.
To accomplish this, modern journalists will need mobile journalism skills. The smartphone is an essential tool in modern journalism, allowing individuals to capture and publish stories from anywhere they go. Smartphone cameras have eliminated the need for a camera crew to follow journalists.
Using mobile apps, people can edit those videos and photos to make them look even more professional. Social media allows anyone to upload stories captured on mobile phones directly to the audience.
SEO and Journalism
Technological advancements in journalism aren’t just limited to social media and podcasting, however. Factors such as SEO (search engine optimization) have crept into the industry, and it is something many journalists have had to come to terms with. SEO is the process of increasing the online visibility of a website to get more traffic. Many editors today will ask their writers to be SEO-conscious as they write their articles in order to generate maximum traffic to the piece.
Data has become crucial to journalists. Endless streams of data mean that writers must be able to pick out the most important and relevant statistics that will improve an article. Sometimes, data will be needed to be presented in an attractive format. This is where knowledge of visualization platforms such as Tableau will help journalists turn raw statistics into captivating graphics that accompany their stories.
Technological advancements have emerged at a rapid pace in the journalism industry. It has already been forced to adapt significantly and will inevitably need to evolve even more to keep up with technology. More social media platforms, such as TikTok, will spring up and garner massive attention, requiring journalists to add yet more strings to their bow.
