The recent announcement of The Sultan Qaboos Award for Culture, Arts and Literature, with a specific prize for Media Studies reminds us once again of the changing role of the media today, as well as the continuing role and importance of traditional media in an age of social media and citizen journalism.
Traditional media is seen to include all the communication methods, which existed before the emergence of the internet namely print media (newspapers, magazines, and books, among others) and broadcast media (radio and television).
New media, on the other hand, includes all sorts of electronic platforms like video games, streaming services, and sharing platforms.
It is easy to see the charm of online media platforms. News from social media sources is usually more immediate and interactive, leaving much scope for Gen Zs to engage with events in real-time.
Research shows that this immediacy, in fact, makes more youngsters engaged with events around them, including issues of climate change, careers, and current events.
According to multiple sources cited in The Guardian, 66 per cent of youngsters between 16 and 24 years got their news from platforms like YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.
According to David Sillito, writing for the BBC, the number of over-55-year-olds buying a physical newspaper also dropped in the United Kingdom, from 35 per cent to 24 per cent in 2020. Covid-19 definitely changed newspaper buying habits which never came back for most.
The dangers of news sourced from social media have already been extensively explored. News on social media tends to be amplified, often inaccurate or even false, in which case it is fake news. There is sufficient evidence to show that fake news has affected individuals and communities by misrepresenting facts or deliberately misinterpreting them.
On a more positive note, traditional media outlets still work on their historically established reputations and focus on larger issues rather than just sound bites.
Even youngsters see social media as a less credible source of information than traditional forms which have stood the test of time.
When it comes to accurate information, newspapers (even their digital versions) are seen to be the most reliable.
Print media is also more permanent while news on social media is fleeting and can be removed or changed based on public reaction. This results in a greater sense of responsibility for writers and editors to check and verify facts, quotations, and data before publishing them.
At a deeply polarizing time when headlines keep, changing in a matter of minutes, a more sustained, thoughtful, and analytical approach to current events is important. This cannot be found in the 280-character message on X (formerly Twitter). Nor can it be found in the loud opinions of individuals who stay behind the anonymous walls of social media.
There has been a rise in digital media content which is gaining respectability, but it will take more time to compete with traditional media in terms of trust.
Accountability, responsibility, and intellect are important qualities inherent in newsrooms across the world.
Such criteria are still more commonly found in traditional newspapers and television channels.
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