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Social Media Accelerates Age-Old Journalism Realities

17 April 2009 | austin social media,social-media | 0 Comment

old media versus new media

Old Media Versus New Media

Last night, we attended the Austin Social Media Club panel on Old Media vs. New Media and to be honest, it was a great panel that probably ended in the nick of time. As the night went on, tensions were becoming palpable in the room- people’s passions on the Institution of journalism ran high as did the passions of the journalists themselves. Although time constraints abruptly ended the panel (which may have been a disservice to old media), it did end civilly despite the conversation quickly turning to the thoughts and feelings from the audience on where the failures lie, and where they believe old media could change for the better. It was obvious that some believed that newspapers should drop actual paper altogether and go completely online. In fact, there was even mention of disintermediation of sports casting by single websites that aggregate sports news for television channels.

Whether you’re friend or foe to old media, I’m sure your feelings on the subject are just as intense, and I’m sure you too have the answer that might save old media, but so does everyone else. Maybe that’s the problem in general- opinions are a dime a dozen and free in bulk.

Bush Wins, Journalist Cries

Isn’t this where media has gone wrong? When I began really paying attention to print and television media was around the 2000 presidential elections and it seemed to me that there was little distinction between biased and unbiased coverage. I even remember one news reporter fighting back disappointed tears as she reported that George Bush won the election. Some may have understood her frustration, but the problem was that she was visibly frustrated in the first place which left me scratching my head in confusion- I thought journalists were supposed to be unbiased?

Opinion has taken center stage at the New York Times, Fox News, and even our own Statesman in Austin, all having reputations for leaning a particular way (whether true or not, perception becomes reality). This furthers my point that whatever your particular leaning, there is a media outlet that will cater to your needs and as one journalist on last night’s panel said, I would lose half my audience if I came down on one side or the other in bias.

The Value of Fact vs. the Value of Opinion

Fact wins every time- This identity crisis has plagued the media for decades but with technology has become more and more accelerated and obvious as media rush to push their brand and personal brands more and more into the mainstream social consciousness. As one audience member remarked last night, it seems that each medium seeks to become the other as television is going print, print is going video, and so on and so forth… and no one denied it.

The rush for the online advertising dollar has blinded media to the reality that their value is not in the opinion, their value is actually in the news itself. Hard hitting investigative journalism loaded with facts is King, and is the holy grail to a citizen journalist (blogger), not the other way around where the journalist becomes the citizen journalist- in fact, that’s what journalists become the minute they allow their tears to lean a story.

Advocacy Versus Endorsement

I don’t fear journalism is going away, but in reality I see journalists becoming citizen journalists more and more. I see opinion wrecking the Institution when the Institution seeks to control opinion by inserting their own- the line has been severely blurred between advocacy and endorsement. This problem didn’t begin when social media was born, it began ages ago when an editor asked “what’s the angle?”

I see in the end a few Institutions left standing- those that understand where their value truly lies, and own their identity, regardless of medium. Identity is power, not the opinion, nor individual popularity. In fact, it is the journalist that understands their value and fights for ethics is the Institution that will be left standing and those who do not will soon be known for what they really are- Dear Abbys. It’s still self sabotage to place more emphasis on opinion over fact in journalism.

Inherent Devaluation

Social media fits into the paradigm we call media, however, wielding social media as anything other than a communication tool accelerates the demise of integrity when used to express feelings around an issue. Social media used to promote the media brand, news, or events is excellent, however, history continues to tell us that when a journalist or an Institution emphasizes an opinion, the product of source based information is inherently devalued regardless of the medium.

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