Technology is the making,modification, usage and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems and methods of organization in order to solve a problem, improve a pre-existing solution to a problem, achieve a goal or perform a specific function.
In recent times of technological development, the
printing press, the telephone and internet have lessened the physical barriers
to communication and allow humans to interact freely on a global scale. Moreover,
technology has affected the society and its surroundings in a number of ways.
In many societies, technology has helped develop most advanced economies and
has allowed the rise of leisure class. Many technological products including
weblogs, social bookmarking tools, wikis, and micro-blogging tools have helped to
promote communication all over the world.
The introduction of web 1.0 and 2.0 is another
typical example of technological development and the invention of the printing
press made it possible for scientists and politicians to communicate their
ideas with ease leading to the age of enlightenment.The use of the term
technology has changed significantly over the last 200 years.
Social media on the other hand is the future of
communication, a countless array of internet based tools and platforms that
increase and enhance the sharing of information (http://www.newmedia.org/what-is-new-media.htmlnew-media.html).
Facebook, LinkedIn, webcast, twitter and YouTube are
created online communities where individuals can share their personal
information as much as they desire with other members. Social bookmarking tools
and new sites such as delicious, reddit, and others make finding images and
information increasingly simple by assigning individual sites.
New media essentially is cyber-culture with modern
computer, technology, digital data controlled by software and the latest fast
development communication technology. Most technologies described as new media
are digital and often have characteristics of being networkable, dense and
compressible, interactive and impartial, such as internet, website, computer
multimedia and games. The modern revolution enables everybody to become journalist
at a little cost and with global reach. New media is therefore a global system
that transcends national borders and institutions and allows people to gain
knowledge by the press of few buttons. The emergence of blog streams is a
reflection in society’s awareness of the importance of information
dissemination.
New media is a 21st century catchall term used to
define all that is related to the internet and the interplay between
technology, images and sound (Introduction: what isn’t new media?; www.newmedia.org/what-is-new-media.html)
Mass media has at least three important roles to play; to inform, influence
opinions and educate.
These distinctive features of traditional media have
been challenged by new media which is changing participation habits of the
audience. Traditional media has served as a companion as well as an important
source of information for the audience. All these worked until a decade ago
when new media emerged with all the advancement of technological innovation.
The old media also known as legacy media are traditional means of communication
that have existed since before the advent of the medium of the internet.
The concept of citizen journalism also known as
public participatory, democratic, guerilla or street journalism is based on the
public playing an active role in the process of collecting, reporting,
analyzing and disseminating news and information. Courhuey C Radsch defines citizen journalism
as an alternative and activist form of news casting and reporting of functions
outside mainstream media institutions.
Citizen Journalism actually refers to the wide range
of activities in which people contribute to the production and most importantly
the distribution of information or commentary about news events. Today, there
are sites limited to non-professional reporting such as NowPublic,
CyberJournalistand some of the traditional media companies are featuring the
citizen journalists. For example, CNN I-Report, in which ordinary people report
on issues happening around them to CNN. (www.educause.edu/eli).
Citizen Journalists are amateur writers who write
about occurrences in their environments. These journalists are not necessarily
trained, neither do they write for the financial gains although it can motive
them, they just do it for the love of it. They are not restricted or governed
by anybody. They are at liberty to write on any subject in their own language
on any social media.The audience chooses the sites they are interested in and
not necessarily just any source. This makes \
The manufacturing and production of
hardware and software are largely focused on making the hardware that supports
new media, while “softer” enterprises like news agencies, programmers, and
artists adapt their crafts to the flow of the electronic current.
Print Media Corporation may go extinct
in the near future. Although many people do still read online news produced by
traditional outlets, they feel that these same traditional outlets are too
slow. Hence the prevalence of mobile devices, smart phones, tablets and the
like which have constant internet connections combine with the growing
popularity of social networking sites like facebook, twitter, reddit, skype,
and others has made it possible for people to produce and share news
themselves. These users are therefore able to document the news as it happens
in real time and thus reaching a large number of people. However, readers of
these news posts are engaged by way of commenting and contributing their views
and opinions on the topic while still sharing with others. When users post news
and videos to social media sites they are not sharing their information and
thoughts with a void without being heard and engaged with. Instead other users
interact both positively and negatively to the information being shared, which
provides citizen journalists with immediate gratification and feedback for
their efforts. (How Social Media Is Supporting A Fundamental Shift In
Journalism; JasonDeMersMay 08,2013).
These days, most of the traditional
media houses have moved to the electronic world to meet the changing trends of
citizen journalists and the society. Most of the traditional media especially
the print news houses have moved to the internet and thus have websites and
social media pages such as Facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and so on,(http://www.manovich.net/LNM/Manovich).
REFERENCES
1. Definition of New Media - http://www.newmedia.org/what-is-new-media.html
2. Manovich, Len (nd) The Language of New Media-
http://www.manovich.net/LNM/Manovich.pdf
3. Kelly, J. (2009) Red Kayaks and Hidden Gold: the
Rise, Challenges and Value of Citizen Journalism. Reuters Institute for the
Study of Journalism, RISJ Challenges. University of Oxford –
https://reutersinstitute.politics.ox.ac.uk/fileadmin/documents/Publications/Red_Kayaks___Hidden_Gold.pdf
4. The Rise of Citizen Journalism –
http://socialmediatoday.com/chris-measures/1430031/rise-citizen-journalism
5.How Social Media Is Supporting a Fundamental Shift
in Journalism
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jayson-demers/how-social-media-is-suppo_b_3239076.html
6. Newman, Nic (2009) The Rise of Social Media and
its import on Mainstream Journalism
GROUP 9
MATILDA OWIREDU tourghananow.blogspot.com
VERONICA AMOAH tourtoknow.blogspot.com
MARIAN AMA BOSOMTWE sanitationandyou.blogspot.com
RACHEL PINTO allabouthousingghana1.blogspot.com
NORA KUSSEH
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