Today was my last day of Radio and TV prac for QUT News and as my fellow prac goers and I sat around the news room chatting about our journalism degrees, the conversation turned to all things technology and the amazing things it has done for journalism. Okay, I know it seems kind of obvious to point this out but the internet has completely changed the way we source, deliver, and receive the news. Amazing fact right! More specifically though it has made my life, and the lives of all journalism students, a whole lot easier.
On Tuesday I did a story out at Chermside about paid parking being introduced at the Westfield Shopping Centre (riveting stuff). On our way there the cameraman ask me if I could call ahead and ask Chermside for permission to film in the car park to avoid getting onto trouble for filming on private property. Before iPhone’s and Smart Phone’s i.e. in the old days, we would have had to call directory to get the number for the shopping centre, wait on hold, hang up, call the shopping centre, wait on hold again, and then finally get through to the person we were looking for. As it happened, I simply whipped out my iPhone, did a five second google search to find the number, rang the number, and then got through to the person I was looking for. My iPhone just took a six step process down to a three step process. Massive win!
Similarly, when it comes to finding legitimate sources technology, and in particular the internet, has made journalists lives a whole lot easier. Websites like expertguide.com.au and mywot.com mean there really is no excuse to be publishing material from dodgy and unreliable sources. The first gives a comprehensive list of experts in whatever field you are searching, complete with contact numbers for the persons office and media contact (if they have one). The second website gives you access to everything you need to know about a site before contacting them or using them as a source. You can find the name and details of the person who owns the site, when it was created, who created it, and how often they use, check and update it.
Finally ... social media. Cue collective groan. I think we’re all sick of hearing about how great social media is but there’s no denying it has completely changed the way we do journalism. The most useful form of social media for journalism would have to be Twitter. This little baby has turned the concept of “breaking news” into a whole new ball game. Not even an online news site could get the information out as quickly as Twitter does. Stories take time to write; information must be sourced, copy must be edited and content uploaded. Twitter gives you 140 characters to say what you want and move on. The story might not be comprehensive and beautifully written, but it gets the information out there and when it comes down to it that’s what journalism is all about.
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