Different minds and perspectives can only enhance or destroy our understanding of the changes taking place in the world, the media, and especially journalism. Diversity is more than just the technical aspects of reporting or creating social media content; it goes far deeper. It requires knowledge and awareness of past and current issues.
Most events are not isolated. They fit within a chain of decisions and social, political, and economic interests, and they differ from country to country. To reflect such complexity, media professionals need much more than basic skills.
The lack of story ideas is a sign that reading is not a habit, and the failure to use multiple sources or even the same writing styles illustrates the comfort zone of media practice. Let us not forget that there are those who establish the news agenda, so even if one is creative, he ends up wrapped within the boundaries. Reasons for accepting being curtailed can vary.
Real people, real heroes, and real stories are absent from our news feed. The media in general, and journalism in particular, is becoming increasingly disconnected from regular people.
The elite has an agenda, while ordinary people have a reality. That is, probably, one of the reasons we see a growing number of people posting on social media about news and events: the citizen journalists. Ok, it is not an ‘official source’, but if it offers the information ordinary people require, so be it. Unfortunately, the lines between journalism, public relations, marketing, advertising, and entertainment are being blurred.
It is almost impossible to ignore the influence of the many media players, particularly during natural disasters and periods of emergencies. Everyone with a mobile phone is a potential publisher. It is important, though, not only to understand the role of citizen journalism, but also its purpose and the problems associated with it. Some professionals have become social media journalists or specialists, while many adventurers who have not been trained are becoming media experts. Thousands of bloggers, Twitter (X) accounts, Snapchatters, and TikTokers are broadcasting the events in their neighbohoud or about topics the media organisations ignore.
It will not be long before the audience, or readers, will just consume information via social media. Attention-grabbing media content will dominate the information landscape, where bias is amplified and context gets lost. Audiences are already choosing what they read and what facts they want to believe. We see an increase in the number of private, closed online communities and content channels. Tailored information within premium subscriptions is already a reality. The formation of diverse groups of interrelated interests and audience fragmentation are widespread. Meanwhile, the media, particularly journalism, is losing public trust and integrity, as well as a significant lack of transparency.
Yes, journalism is going through major changes. For decades, this industry has been going through crises, and we don’t know what the future holds. But most recently, it has faced challenges from a swamp of social media platforms that fuel polarization and spread mis- and disinformation, including viral levels of hatred. The amount of junk news that people consume is astonishing, if not frightening, in terms of where we are heading.
Still, journalism should have its place in society. It should not be about who talks in the news and who is talked about because, within this formula, we see a narrative for stratifying society. In the interest of better journalism, we should think about the purpose of news, not public opinion build-up.
Handling words, images, and sometimes sounds to make a message meaningful is complex, but journalism is much more than putting phrases together. There are infinite possibilities to make journalism and the media truly relevant. This crossroads between ethics, reporting styles, and understandings also points to challenges for journalism and media education.
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