News delivery is changing from a traditional hierarchical model to a more collaborative approach, the Parnell Summer School heard today.
Helen Shaw of Athena Media told a panel discussion entitled "Citizen Journalism and Beyond" the media is going through a phase of transition and journalists need to recognise the shift in power.
She said although the professional media may worry about the loss of power to the internet it is a “very exciting and liberating environment” for citizens. It is “very difficult” for media organisations to get used to the rapidity of change, but they need to reinvent the idea of news content because through the use of Twitter, Facebook and blogs people are now empowered to tell their own story, Ms Shaw told her audience.
While newspapers have always been able to adapt to "what's been thrown at them" in the past, they have been slow to face the trials of the online world, journalist Rosita Boland of The Irish Times said.
The biggest challenge is that print and broadcast media have become more inclusive, she said, adding that where 20 years ago the only way to interact with a newspaper was through the letters page people can now comment on most articles.
“This is good because it keeps us on our toes but it comes with its own set of challenges.”
Ms Boland cited problems in the US newspaper industry and how due to cutbacks more and more news is becoming syndicated.
“You have homogeneous news . . . instead of having your paper’s voice and perspective you’re getting the same story being told across the place.”
She said some newspapers in the United States are asking people to provide content for the “soft news” pages like parenting or the arts and warned of the dangers of selling this as professional journalism.
Newsrooms are expensive to run, but that investment is needed because “if you don’t have that then people are not going to be able to trust what you are doing,” she said.
Former RTÉ broadcaster Mark Little said journalism is entering a “golden age”. In his lecture "Write Here Right Now", Mr Little said he felt the market place is changing and journalists will become more akin to “freelance service providers” rather than part of an institution.
“I think the core institutions will shrink but I don’t think there’s any lack of demand for storytellers in the world today.”
Mr Little said people needed to stop thinking of the survival of newspapers as a physical product and start thinking of them as “a valuable service to the community”. He said the business model for journalism is changing and newspapers and TV stations need to get away from the ratings model and look at what is valuable for readers.
“At the moment all we are capturing is what people are buying, what people are watching, but what I think we have to do is find out where this goes next.
“To find out what the readers, what the viewers find valuable in their lives. And so far we are not measuring that,” he added.
