Emerging trends in Journalism

Emerging trends in Journalism
Sr P Michelle Mathias

 

A kind request to those of you using my notes for your researches. If you find them useful, please do cite me. Thank You.

Journalism in India has had a deep-rooted history. Journalism is the fourth Pillar of democracy that keeps the three other pillars of the Judiciary, the Legislative and the Executive in check. It was the backbone during the freedom fight struggle and the dark days of the Emergency which saw the suppression of the Press. It has been the steer leader to bring the notice of Governments to hard hitting facts of Poverty, Unemployment, Bad administration, Violence, etc and has also paved the way for development through encouraging articles.

Historically, it was the Printing Press that went through the test of fire and survived the dark days when various Press Acts were brought in by the British to suppress opinion and stoke feelings of Freedom. However, the Press survived and grew in large measure. The Radio and the Television then came in. However, in its initial stages the Government had strict control over the Public Broadcasting services and still continues to do so. Gradually, the Government opened the doors to Privatisation.

With the arrival of Privatization in India many channels jumped in with variety and were boosted with foreign investment. To rake in the moolah and survive, these channels also needed advertisement revenue. So, News and the way News was being communication went through a drastic change. Newer styles and techniques were introduced. Breaking News became an everyday issue. Globalisation too brought in a new way of looking at and doing things. In order to vie for higher ratings and provide content 24/7, channels resorted to various ideas and content. There were news debates, people’s opinion pieces, interviews, infotainment through animated series of political issues and entertainment through Qawwali styles debates by certain channels.

Technology has also paved the way for newer means and styles of Journalism. Social Media began contributing in a large way to Journalism. Technological advancement made recording expensive and so, bars were raised. More advertisement revenue was sought. However, this thirst to keep afloat also led to hobnobbing and manipulation of TRP ratings. Furthermore, News and Journalistic practices are being sacrificed at the altar of Commerce as most channels are backed by Corporates who are interested in the monetary business that these news channels bring in and not the content that can actually uplift the people of the country. There are a few channels however, who are active in good Journalism.

Furthermore, Social Media today has made news available on the go and has led to massive changes in the way people consume news today.  Emerging trends have shown, that while India has a high sale of Newspapers, both Newspapers and TV channels are in need of revenue and have resorted to paid news on one hand and have also gone online for subscribership on various Social networking platforms. A new bunch of Social media personalities have developed who not only out up videos, hey have turned into informative Opinion Leaders. While, there is a large clutter on the Social Media platform, there is also a wave of genuine journalism that has surged that depend on subscriber-ship and not on paid news.

Given this background we look at the varied trends that are emerging in journalism in India and the world at large.

 

Convergent Journalism:

Digital Technology has changed the scenario in the journalistic world. A newspaper cannot remain a printed sheet anymore. Digitalisation has led to the concept of Convergent Journalism. A concept wherein one uses more than one media platform for transmitting news. In a technologically developed arena, with a generation that is growing up with digital devices, it has become a challenge for traditional media to survive like in the yester years. Hence, many Newspaper channels are simultaneously running websites and have e-papers with subscribers. These Newspapers also tie up with various search Engines and other Social media platforms to garner viewership and hits. 

Vineet Kaul (2013) in his article, ‘Journalism in the Age of Digital Technology’, writes that Scholars have begun calling reporters “gate-watchers” (Bruns, 2005) and information “monitors” (Deuze, 2003), insisting that they share authority willingly and embrace “citizen media” (Gillmor, 2004).

It is also a challenge for many news journalists today as news journalism requires a dynamism that can cater to both written press and online press. It is also a challenge, to learn a bit of videography and photography which is extremely useful in the current times, where jobs are being cut and downsized due to economic pressures. Given the fact, that today there are numerous gadgets which are tiny, portable and user friendly, it is not a difficult task. However, multi-tasking is not an easy job, especially when there is a constant demand for breaking news.  

 

News Infomediaries:

The Cambridge Business English Dictionary defines Infomediaries as a website that collects and provides information about products and the companies that supply them (dictionary.cambridge.org). The concept of Infomediaries is very applicable in the case of the present scenario, where one finds newsfeeds while one opens, Facebook, Google or Yahoo and other social networking forums or search engines. In this case, if one is interested one will click on the news to read and gather information. The technological advancement leads to similar news being shown to you or suggested to you based on the continual choices or searches you make. Based on the click and the choice of news, the algorithms that are employed in Facebook, Google or other platforms,  provide you similar content.

The book, ‘The Future of Journalism’, edited by Bob Franklin says that two kinds of distribution have emerged: one is based on the new infomediaries (Rebillard and Smynrnaios, 2010) social media corporations which are the news mediators of news and information, and the other is a social distribution based on user’s own networks. People tend to read what others have shared on their news feeds, and then share it further, comment and like it.

This concept is beneficial to Facebook and to the News Website who has employed the use of Facebook to promote its News website or Channel. The consumer or the audience is lured. The consumer of this news may find the piece interesting and share it on his/her personal Facebook platform or other social networking platform or on the status. This garners more views, comments, likes or dislikes which means more traffic on a particular website. This can cater to advertisement revenue. The dealing of Search Engines and Social Networking platforms is also based on Revenue generation.  

 

'Clickbait' Journalism:

While using search engines or social networking platforms or some online service, we come across pictures with catchy headlines. This has often lead to the user clicking on the particular link. The 'clickbait' journalism has often landed in controversy as the catchy headline does not make-up to the content that the user gets to read. Headlines are often constructed in a way that sensationalises a particular event. In India, we often see that many users get duped on platforms like YouTube when the title does not match the content that has been uploaded. However, these articles succeed in getting clicks and the necessary traffic as the person gets hoodwinked in reading and gradually realises that the content is bogus. This type of journalism, builds a wrong image in the long run about the website that hosts such news pieces.

 

Subscription Based Audience:

Many Newspapers have now released online newspaper versions and invite subscribers. Thus, garnering subscribers and getting subscription revenue has become important in order to survive the rat race.

On the international platform, popular journalistic stalwarts amongst newspapers, ‘The Guardian’ has managed to carve a niche for itself through subscribership. Nic Newman in writes in Journalism, Media, And Technology Trends And Predictions 2018 (The Reuters Institute For The Study Of Journalism) states statistics from the Reuters Institute Digital News Report. The report “showed a 7% increase in subscription in the US last year led by the New York Times and Washington Post.” He further added that ‘The Guardian’ has surged ahead in defying its critics to report 800,000 paying customers, which include half a million subscribers and 300,000 one-off donations. For the first time, the Guardian is attracting more revenue directly from readers than from advertising. However, the same cant be spoken in the Indian Context. News is still at the mercy of Subscribership and most people still want to read News free.

Many News Channels, both with written content or News videos on YouTube request subscribers in view of non- biased news and to be free from political pressures or corporate pressure for advertisements in order to bring in genuine news. News channels like ‘The Wire’ have created quite a buzz in India with some good journalistic opinion and pieces. The Quint and others like Firstpost too are churning out many good articles. TV channels too have their websites and do massive news hour uploads on YouTube. Some of these channels are very popular and have a huge subscriber base.  

 

News in Snippets:

The generation of millennials seem to be waning away from Newspaper reading towards reading news on the Net especially in shorter snippets. Primarily because of the many portable devices they use which make news accessible on the go. The Internet also makes it possible to verify other news pieces that are similar. The concept of Google news and other major newspaper forums today provide news both in newspaper format for subscribers and in short snippets to garner readership, subscribers and revenue for the hits as it rakes in advertisement. Jorge Vázquez-Herrero writes that mobile adopters are searching for short-up-to-date news, media should produce native formats adjusted to these usage information patterns characterized by faster access and greater timeliness (Wolf & Schnauber, 2015, Vázquez-Herrero 2019).

The concept of News in Snippets on a Mobile or a Smartphone has encouraged the use of Algorithms that trace your liking for particular kind of news based on your scrolling or reading habits on the smartphone and bring you more content of similar types. This concept is at time a bit dangerous as Media brings you what you desire or like and not what you really need to know.

Furthermore, this concept of reading News in snippets has garnered terms like Ephemeral Journalism, Micro-journalism, Glance Journalism or for that matter Instagram stories. We will also take a quick look at these emerging trends.

I have explained each terminology in short for the convenience of students referring to this blog. Often different terminologies may indicate the same or almost similar concept. I have tried to define various terminologies that indicate almost the same concept, perhaps in different format. So that you become aware of these concepts.

 

Ephemeral Journalism:

The word ephemeral means something that is transient, short lived or that which lasts for a short while. Ephemeral journalism is the product of a generation that relies on smart watches and other digital devices that provides news in short snippets, news in images or in a few words. With the trend of Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram stories, that do not have a very long shelf life and are short-lived, News channels too have begun using these platforms to create such stories and reach out to newer audiences and the millennials. News Channels also lure leaders through hyperlinks.

Jorge Vázquez-Herrero (2019) writes in his research paper, ‘Ephemeral Journalism: News Distribution Through Instagram Stories’ that these new incidental and ephemeral users’ consumption habits are the reason for the different “know-how” of the media (Larrondo et al., 2017), as these intensify their efforts to produce native formats (Newman et al., 2017). For instance, adaption to the web would require ‘Short videos for web and Facebook profiles’ (Kalogeropoulos et al., 2016) or the creation of journalistic microformats (Silva-Rodríguez et al., 2017).

Given the fact that most people access news or other information and OTT content like videos or films or micro films through Social networking platforms or streaming platforms on gadgets like a Notepad, digital watches or Smartphones, Vázquez-Herrero (2019) adds that the shape of the news changes to accommodate navigation through them (Newman, 2018), thus. prioritizing the use of “horizontal storytelling mode” and Snapchat’s “tap to advance mode,” Twitter moments, Facebook and WhatsApp status, as well as Instagram Stories (Online Journalism Blog, 2017). Instagram stories, Glance journalism, etc are outcomes of such Ephemeral trends in journalism.

 

Instagram stories:

Researches have shown that today’s generation, especially the urban lot is prone to use Instagram. While Facebook was a choice, today, Instagram (IG) stories are taking over with their huge audience amongst the millennials. Many News channels are today building their brand on Instagram by creating Instagram stories.

For instance, Channels like BBC produce Instagram stories, which when swiped leads you to the hyperlink of the BBC website. Mark Frankel, the social media editor from BBC News said in an interview with Caroline Scott, "There is a young, vibrant audience for BBC News that doesn't necessarily come directly to our website, television channels or radio stations to consume new stories, so we need to find ways to capture their imagination, bring them in, and encourage them to explore more." (www.journalism.co.uk, 2017) Furthermore, BBC also engages its viewers on IG with tags, hashtags and quizzes.

In India, too, we see a trend among the youngsters to create IG stories. Many actors and actresses are constantly uploading videos and pictures on their IG accounts. It is also known that they get paid for it. Meanwhile, these posts also generate news and advertisement revenue for many News channels, who use IG posts of actors and actresses to write Entertainment news pieces. The articles are short in nature and primarily interspersed with the IG post pictures and loaded with advertisements.

 

Micro  Journalism: 

The term Micro Journalism is similar to what is called Ephemeral Journalism or Glance journalism. The term indicates the use of wearable devices which allow you to take a quick look at the headline or news in short.  (Silva-Rodríguez et al., 2017: 187) writes that ‘technology producers and users, have both welcomed smartwatches as a new device for total communication’.  

 

Glance Journalism:

Glance Journalism is a concept that arose from the Apple’s concept of ‘Glance’ technology in their smartwatches. This is another concept in the Micro-format genre of journalism. Those using smartwatches have a unique way today of reading news at a glance. The news is brought to you through a picture with a caption, a headline and few words of narrative. The Times of India, India’s largest selling English newspaper has actively employed this concept of Glance Journalism to reach out to the millennials along with al the other concepts running simultaneously.

Bilge Narin, (2018) in her research paper, ‘Less is More or Less is Biased: Glance Journalism’ that was presented at the Proceedings  of the 16th International Symposium Communication in the Millennium defines “Glance journalism as a new storytelling form on smartwatches which is fundamentally based on the news headline with an instant update. She further adds that Glance journalism is a new way to spread the news quickly with solely the keywords and audible and/or vibrating alerts via smartwatches as a type of wearable technologies.”  

The idea is to get an instant update on the go. One can decide looking at the instant update, whether or not, one is interested in reading the entire article. ‘These stories are basically “microsummaries” of major stories and contain bite-size news being directed at consumers.’ (phys.org, 2015) The entire concept is based on the fact that people will constantly be glancing at news and getting updated with the addictive format of the smartwatches.

Glance Journalism has led to corporate who run newspapers vying for it as a new means to attract the attention of an audience to its app thus increasing its subscriber base or viewership base.

However, Glance Journalism may or may not be the way to a very informed journalism. A well-researched piece with verified data is educative and informative. The glance journalism keeps one upbeat of incidents occurring across the world but need not necessarily be educative in approach. In a country like India with a large population, the Press plays an important role of being informative and educative by nature. However, the concept of Glance Journalism is the new trend that is catching up. And news at a glance may not ideally be educative, it could be updation and awareness of the occurrence of an incident.  

 

Mojo Journalism:

In a world of portable devices like Notepads, iPhones or Smartphones along with wireless or broadband technology, journalism has discovered a new way of transmitting news at a lower cost and instantly. Many journalists today carry their smartphones to record videos, pictures and interviews which is transmitted instantly using wireless technology. These portable, gadgets are lighter and user friendly as compared to the heavy cameras used in yester years. So, many reporters and journalists make use of Mobile Technology to communicate or transmit news which they have recorded, edited and revamped using mini gadgets and devices like smartphones.

NDTV has an entire series called Gadget 360 which was shot on a Samsung notepad 10. Hosam El Nagar in his post, Mojo: from periphery to the mainstream of journalism’ writes about how Nicholas Garnett from BBC who was among the early adopters of mojo and its benefits recalled how during an earthquake in Nepal, when the infrastructure collapsed, he was able to shoot, go live and transmit the message because of his mobile. Hosam further adds that a similar experience was narrated by Siobhan Heanue of ABC Australia when her mobile provided coverage of the earthquake and its aftermath. (www.thomsonfoundation.org)

 

Paid News:

On the negative side, India is also seeing a surge in Paid news and bias in news production and news transmission. In an arena of severe competition and deteriorating revenue packages, Journalism has stooped down to a level where news is presented with a bias towards the corporate or the political party funding the same. This has become a trend. In the bargain, to support the opinion or create an opinion which at times has severe bias, journalists turn rogues on screen indulging in verbally violent debates. This is a trend that has caught up in India.

Amidst the cantankerous cacophony of words that many big channels are doing today by bringing an esteemed panel to the table for debate. Often the journalist turns into a subjective accuser pinpointing fingers, shouting allegations, making incessant demands of the guest and heading to the point of insulting the guest and even showing them the door. Print on the other hand can be considered more stable, trustworthy and informative. However, the need to survival has over the years gradually led Print journalism too, to becoming a victim to Paid news, Advertorials and advertisement. 

Artificial Intelligence

Conclusion:

Journalism is a must in this country who depends on it for information, news and education. There is a constant battle of choices between the genuine News Channels and those that crop up in large numbers to make money through views on videos often at the cost of truth. There emerging trends are to lead a nation to an informed public and not an ill-informed Public.