Assignment: 《USQ JRN3001: Blog post 2: Key factors affecting the preparation and delivery of online news?》

Online journalism is the mark of a new standard for journalism. Journalists have to battle with time to either be first to presents news online or be creative in delivering the news. Audiences, medium and time are three vital factors.

According to Bovee (2009), journalists have to identify their primary audience when writing a news piece as some message are more significant to certain audience than others. As online audiences are harder to define so sometimes journalist scramble to be the first to post however failed to properly present the data to specific target group. Joanna Geary warned “You’re not writing for yourself, you’re writing with a specific reader in mind.” Journalist are not only limited to uploading news online, but to engage with the audience properly and realised that papers should be actively concerned with their niches according to Joanna Geary (2010). Online readers’ wants to engage news and information on their own time thus a news article with polls and interactive comments sections can increase audience engage levels.

Secondly, online journalism are not restricted to the newsroom and publication of textual news, multimedia technology have played a part in giving different mediums for journalist to make use of. Regina McCombs said “All the energy pours into a first rendering of the story in a format that might not be the best format for that story!” She relates back to the use of seven types of multimedia format such as video, textual, photos, graphical, audio, data interaction, and audio slideshow. Each has its own characteristics to satisfy passive or active audiences hence journalist of 21^st century using such medium is capable of conveying a better message across the monitor compared to textual content. Poynter Institute of USA mentioned that multimedia skills are essential for journalist to stay up-to-date with audiences. That is why, these mediums are crucial in delivering online news to audiences.

The time is obviously the biggest obstacle for a journalist especially in ‘online journalism’. According to Lieb (2010), stating that the days of the deadline has passed for journalism and the daily or hourly cycle we used to work with no longer exists. Consequently, we need to keep updating the news as soon as the latest information is attained. For instance, when some matters or topics reach at 9 am, online journalists have to write the news and upload it at 10 am. Journalist usually run a quick summary and uploads them as fast as possible online before newspapers can be churned out.

In conclusion, we need to take note of the key factors, which is audience, medium and time. Journalist must be skilled in using these three factors to appeal online audiences and give them what they need.

Bibliography:

Anon (2011). A correction saved their bacon. ABC.net: Media Watch. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3132383.htm

Burdon, D (2011). Toughing It Out. The Morning Bulletin. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/1101_bulletin.pdf

Courtland Bovee, & John V, Thill (Eds.) 2009, The three-step writing process. Business communication essentials. (pg. 55, 57). USA:Prentice Hall. 

Geary, J (2012). Rupert Murdoch quotes. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://www.joannageary.com/

Lieb, T 2009, All the news: writing and reporting for convergent media, New York US:Pearson Education Inc.

McAdams, M (2006). Online Media Types. Macloo.com. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://www.macloo.com/journalism/media.htmMcAdams, M (2012). Cheat Sheet for Multimedia Story Decisions. Teching Online Journalism. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/2008/cheat-sheet-for-multimedia-story-decisions/

McCombs, R (2008). Professional Experience. Reginamccombs.files.wordpress.com. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://reginamccombs.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/regina_mccombs_public_resume01111.pdf

McCombs, R (2012). The Craft of Multimedia Journalism. Poynter.News University. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://www.newsu.org/multimedia-journalism-craft

Susannah (2011). Key Factors Affecting the preparation and delivery of online news. Journalism & The Media. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://journalismmedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/key-factors-affecting-preparation-and.html

Thomas, K (2010). Understanding your target audience. KT’s Journalistic Musings. Retrieved from 8 August 2012, http://kateethomas.wordpress.com/2010/11/21/understanding-your-target-audience/

University of Southern Queensland, JRN 3001 Online Journalism "Module 2 - Finding and Planning News" Queensland, Australia, viewed 10 August 2011.

Assignment: 《USQ JRN3001: Blog post 1: What defines news in the online environment?》

News in the online environment can be defined by the speed, user, format and content. According to Boczkowski, “Instead of being primarily journalist-centered, the news online appears increasingly to be also user-centered." He also mentioned that in the online environment, users have a much greater direct effect on the news.

This shows that online news can come from almost anyone with an internet connection to share news through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and etc. Speed signifies the highest difference to traditional news, as users on the scene of an incident can capture the scene of street brawl or an incident of fire break out faster than any news source can cover. Any users can definitely upload it on social sites faster than editors can edit them thus making them raw news online.

In 2012, almost everything is news and almost everyone from all backgrounds and without proper journalistic training or experience becomes a "news reporter" and "journalist". Twitter and Facebook users with high followers tend to trust people on their links therefore the contents shared are usually within the same interest connection. However online rumors can be viral such as the earlier rumor on Rowan Atkinson and Jackie Chan’s death went global without confirmation to its source. As Matthew Ingram tweeted “It is important to remember that our followers trust us, so incumbent on us to check things before RT (sharing)”. This in hand relies on users’ common sense and capability to check on sources before sharing.

According to Felix Salmon from Reuters said "rumors happen on Twitter, and then they get shot down — no harm no foul. Online news that is shared will not go through formal confirmation or filtered leading to untrustworthy news circulating the web. Therefore people share unconfirmed rumors or news on social media sites like they are in the newsroom or our daily conversation of exchanging thoughts in words. Felix says that social media sites are no different from newsroom where journalist exchange information and news which are not confirmed but only rumors. However Julie Moos, director of Poynter.org says that “Speed kills, but slowness is a painful death of its own.” Twitter is one of the places where dilemma such as this exists.

The conclusion is that internet has redefining present news in the online environment more than a newsroom can handle. It has reached a user-participated medium on news sharing and where speed is essential with smartphones. Speed is essential but so is accuracy and credibility of the news or rumor at hand. Ideas are exchanged on social sites but it can be misused by certain parties just for gag such as Michael Robert Meras ‘joke’ claim of Mr. Bean’s death.

References

Anon (2011). Jackie Chan death hoax hits Twitter. GMA News. Retrieved from 25 July 2012, http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/216469/scitech/jackie-chan-death-hoax-hits-twitter

Anon(2011). Jackie Chan Death Hoax Sweeps Social Medial. The Inquisitr. Retrieved from 25 July 2012, http://www.inquisitr.com/135052/jackie-chan-dead-august-2011/

Boczkowski, PB (2004). Redefining the News Onliine. A USC Annenberg: Online Journalism Review. Retrieved from 25 July 2012, http://www.ojr.org/ojr/workplace/1075928349.php

Gardner, T (2012). RIP Mr Bean: False rumour of actor Rowan Atkinson’s death trends worldwide on Twitter. Mail Online. Retrieved from 25 July 2012, http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2106780/Rowan-Atkinson-death-hoax-trends-worldwide-Twitter-RIP-Mr-Bean.html

Myers, S (2011). Should journalists confirm information before passing it along on Twitter. Poynter.org. Retrieved from 25 July 2012, http://www.poynter.org/latest-news/top-stories/141100/should-journalists-confirm-information-before-passing-it-along-on-twitter/