Online and Mobile Media Presentation : Week 12, The Future of Journalism. Examination of the Future of Journalism with reference to this weeks readings: Conboy, M & Steel, j 2008 ‘The Future of Newspapers: historical perspectives,’ Journalism Studies, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 650-661 Life in the Clickstream: The Future of Journalism [www.alliance.org.au/documents/foj_report_final.pdf ] 1. Summary of the way newspapers (up until now) have combined economic, technological and cultural issues to represent systems of shared beliefs through differentiation. 2. How news/debates about “information society” should be considered a continuation of socio-economic trends emerging in the 17th Century. 3. Debates on how current trends (“hyper-differentiation”) might impact on the political formations of the future.

1. THE FUTURE OF JOURNALISM Daniel Taylor Weekly readings: Conboy, M & Steel, j 2008 ‘The Future of Newspapers: historical perspectives,’ Journalism Studies, vol. 9, no. 5, pp. 650-661 Life in the Clickstream: The Future of Journalism [ www.alliance.org.au/documents/foj_report_final.pdf ]

2. The Future of NewspapersReading Summary 1. Summary of the way newspapers (up until now) have combined economic, technological and cultural issues to represent systems of shared beliefs through differentiation. 2. How news/debates about “information society” should be considered a continuation of socio-economic trends emerging in the 17th Century. 3. Debates on how current trends (“hyper-differentiation”) might impact on the political formations of the future.

3. NEWSPAPERS AND THE EMERGENCE OF DIFFERENTIATION Goal of newspapers : to produce readers not news. News tailored for a particular readership for profit or influence. (Important to bear in mind for a discussion of the future of newspapers) Monopoly of newspapers broken by advent of radio. TV news drove search for audiences in print further Rise on feminised content Shift of elite newspapers from broadsheet to compact format in new millennium. Due to new media technologies their function is increasingly about being an arbiter of taste, opinion and identity (argue news function is now obsolete [Preston, 2004] The internet seen as an interesting phenomenon: a rival and also a medium for continuation of the newspaper (albeit in a radically altered form) Site-metrics (very analytical) threaten traditional assessment. Traditional newspapers are using aspects of interactive facilities to promote the impression of a greater accountability. Change between the relations of the informers and informed (Deiber, 1997)

4. NEWS AND THE “INFORMATION SOCIETY” Are current shifts in newspaper practice reconfigurations of traditional articulations of readership? First consider the structural implications of information society and its relationship to the production of news. Information society: denote the social, political, economic and cultural shift in society because of recent innovations in information and communication technology. Capitalist society has shifted from industrial to knowledge-based economy. What is an information society? A society where anyone with a computer and internet connection can access information. A global society characterised by an abundance of information. Information is both a currency (Lennon, 1999) and the commodity of the “Globalised” world. Key theme is that a quantitative increase in the amount of information available necessarily leads to a qualitative change in social formations (Webster, 2002). Proliferation of newspapers offering digital online content. News production and distribution has changed beyond all recognition. News provided has been redefined and rearticulated (eg. England growing focus on celebrity gossip, political scandal and salacious content.) Continual development of capitalist production The pace of change gives a false impression of “newness” Need for a “Public utility newspaper” (eg: BBC) if over-commercialisation became predominant. Technology enables commercial ventures but does not drive them; if there is no market then the venture will fail.

5. TECHNOLOGY, DIFFERENTIATION AND DEMOCRACY Internet “revolution” offers opportunities and barriers to political participation/democracy. Emergence of “alternative” politics: potential to break down existing barriers to communication/participation (eg. Newsgroups, discussion boards, websites, etc.) Information viewed as core material enabling us to “make sense” of the world. “News” seen as one important strand of this information society. Electronic News seen as up-to-date and personalised (via home computer and mobile) Content able to be tailored for end-user… personal choice, filtering out content deemed irrelevant or uninteresting. User-generated content: users can actively create content reflecting their view of the world. Consumer society in which consumer has power to change the frame of reference through which they engage with world. Journalistic norms increasingly more about “Packaging and marketing information” then ensuring integrity of data conveyed. By filtering out and personalising content readers are in effect denying themselves access to some greater deliberative context. The reduction of opportunity to engage with issues the reader might not have considered engaging in.

6. READING 1 CONCLUSIONS Impact of the internet on newspapers is not a simple switch of technological engagement. This switch has a great ability to destabilise traditional notions of citizenship and community It is the producers and readers of newspapers who have the ultimate say and responsibility. Confidence needs to be restored in human intervention with the process of technology This intervention will determine the quality of social readership and therefore the quality of media communication as a ritual of shared beliefs.

7. In 60 seconds… tick tick tick http://www.go-gulf.com/blog/60-seconds Did You Know That - In 60 SECONDS Google searches 694,445 Flickr6,600+ pictures uploaded Youtube: 600 videos uploaded on Status updates695,000 Facebook Wall Posts : 79,364 Facebook Comments : 510,040 Domain Registered: 70 Emails sent: 168,000,000+ Email accounts : 320 Tweets: 98,000 tweets iPhone appsdownloaded 13,000 Tumbler : 20,000 new posts FireFox downloads: 1700 times Wordpress downloads : 50 times New Linkedin accounts : 40 Questions on YahooAnswers: 100+ Urban dictionary: 1 new definition Craigslist: 1,200+ new ads Skype calls: 370,000+ minutes Music streaming: 13,000+ hours Scribd reads: 1,600+ reads

10. 2020most mobile networks will provide one-gigabit-per-second-minimum;

12. Predicted isolated and small-scale violent attacks to try and thwart technology's march

13. possibly civil action around issues such as privacy

15. By 2020 an increasing number of people will be living and working within "virtual worlds" being more productive online than offline

17. The Future of Journalism - ColumbiaNews Columbia faculty discuss the future of journalism http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyBaC0HyQEA

18. Some Relevant Online Resources The Future of Journalism – BBC ; Collection of papers presented at a conference organised by the BBC College of Journalism [ http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/future_of_journalism.pdf ] Steve Jobs and the future of Journalism ; A recent articlediscussing how Apple products have changed the media landscape [ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judy-lubin/steve-jobs-and-the-future_b_1000180.html ] The Future of Journalism.net ; A wealth of information for journalist, students and citizen journalism [ http://futureofjournalism.net ] Five myths about Journalism ; Some really important misconceptions relevant to the future of journalism [ http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/five-myths-about-the-future-of-journalism/2011/04/05/AF5UxiuC_story.html ]

19. Source: http://www.innovationsinnewspapers.com/index.php/category/juan-senor/Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yXT_1pvDv4

20. Questions to consider… Jobs for journalists? What opportunities exist? Weakness of a brave new world of Journalism? What key skills will new media journalists need? Thoughts/comments?

21. Thank you