Communication Technology & Journalists

   One of the biggest impacts of communication technology as been to the professional journalist. These professionals have had to adjust how they reach their audience in order to remain current in their profession.

   In the old days, the journalist would gather information about the event on which they are reporting and would have the luxury of time to do background and fact checking. This no longer holds true as each news outlet races to be the first to report that breaking news. Today, the best journalist are held to a very high standard of getting the news out first. This has been very difficult for these professionals as it eliminates that time available for verification of the facts.

   The Journalist is also challenged by the armchair reporter. That blogger that happens to think that they know what is going on with the world. They might not have any solid education or background for being a reporter, but they can gain many followers if they share information that is interesting and relevant to the readers. This creates serious competition for the professional journalist.

    The images below display some of the biggest news outlet that employ the best and brightest in the journalism field. These news agencies have been impacted by the changes in technology and in how they are sharing the news.  If you were to Google search Fox News, the first logo that appears includes ".com" as it's a very important part of their online presence.  Every news outlet must, at a minimum, maintain a website that is constantly maintained and kept current.

  

In addition to the news media website, social media is a critical piece of the media's online presence. Without a social networking presence, not many will find their way to the outlet's website.  The journalists need to be aware of what information that they are sharing via these media portals. Journalists much be active on Twitter as many people want real time news and Twitter is the right outlet for the news that is happening right now.

Long gone are the days of the report taking the time to spend hours of their time researching news, but rather they are keeping up on social media and other online tools in order to stay current with the technology that is driving their profession.