A Multi-Media World

The emergence of technology as everyday essentials (computers, PDAs, mobile phones etc) has had a significant impact on citizen journalism. No longer just part of the audience, members of the public are frequently invited by media organisations to submit video footage or pictures in an effort to ensure 24 hour coverage.

Only minutes after the bombs ignited in the London Underground, train passengers sent grainy video and photo footage to the BBC, providing instantaneous news for the rest of the world to see (See picture below).

Wikipedia, an encyclopedia website able to be edited by ordinary internet users, has also emerged as a news source. Earlier this year, it was alleged that Wikipedia had broken the news of the death of popular American journalist, Tim Russert. The story goes that half an hour before official media organisations reported the news, a junior employee of an internet news company changed Russert’s entry, usurping the role of traditional television and radio news services.

While user participation has provided greater news coverage, consideration must be given to the implications. Wikipedia is interactive but this has come under criticism because it has been a cause of inaccuracy. It is also evident that some members of the public, unlike experienced journalists, do not have adequate legal or ethics training.

Hence, while there are many advantages of user-generated news it is clear that it needs to be closely monitored.

Picture: Passengers evacuate an underground train at Kings Cross, as captured by a passenger using their mobile phone.

The celebrated arrival of the Apple iPhone to Australian consumers this month marks an achievement in the media industry. No longer satisfied with juggling a mobile phone, mp3 player, laptop and newspaper, consumers are encouraging media executives to think more creatively about how news is delivered. Apple’s flashy device is also a saving grace to the growing number of people who are time-poor, as it can perform a number of tasks including playing music, web browsing and e-mail.

While I have not yet prescribed to the iPhone, it has become very clear that the level of media convergence on modern society described by Quinn has had an impact on my life. It would have only been about ten years ago when a walk to the milk bar to buy the newspaper was part of my morning routine. Now it is far more convenient and cost effective to access the same version online. Similarly, if I did not rush home to catch the evening broadcast of the television news I would just have to go without. I am now able to download television-quality news clips online with my broadband internet.

While convergence is not a problem-free operation, with media organisations being forced to restructure their newsrooms and cooperate with restrictive ownership laws, it is apparent that most, like me, would view the different forms of media as a necessary part of their lives.

The initial reaction of a final year journalism student to the subject of ‘media as a growth market’ is quite frankly elevating. More jobs? Perhaps. Easy access to resources? Yes! Job diversity? Check.

But to the regular consumer there are mixed feelings about the media economy. On the upside it is satisfying that the insatiable need for information and connectivity is being met. This has helped to solidify the concept of global citizenship and has provided the masses with round the clock entertainment.

But while there are exciting times ahead, such media saturation is also worrying. Some share the concern that the media has the capacity to weaken an individual’s capacity to act autonomously. The right to privacy may also come under threat; as will more traditional modes of communication such as newspapers and cinema.

It is easy to identify this trend in my own life. My primary sources for school projects as a ten year old was the World Book Encyclopedia series and the tangible version of the Herald Sun. I was entertained by books, board games and free to air television. Fast forward a decade and there has been rapid progression. I now spend an average of two hours per day on the internet, I watch at least an hour of Foxtel television and have ditched the newspaper for the online version. Personally, I consider that my life has been enhanced by these mechanisms.

Check out the changing trend in newspaper sales, as reported by the Press Council. Amongst a number of factors, alternative news sources such as the internet and mobile phone technology is causing newspaper circulations to fall:

To see a clearer version of the graph and for contextual explanation see State of the News Print Media In Australia Report 2006