Global diversity or local community?

The war rages between global new sources and the humble local news that supports the surrounding and directly involved community. Does this lead to questions of allegiance, business or merely an issue of preferred news sources?

The dominance of global media and the media companies who control many varieties of news are constantly called into question over their bias, direction and overall content. Global media firms are commonly controlled by American organisations and investors, and frequently hold second tier firms who work out of other countries but remain under the same roof and business/news model. Student journalists are taught that these media companies are leading to a shrinking diversity, ownership bias and manipulative filters, affect the integrity of the journalism profession and are ultimately leading to the downfall of localised media. This to me are harsh sentiments to a timeless news model to which society has adapted.

The questionable freewill of journalists lies within any organisation, whether it be multinational or a privately owned county paper. The underlying message and content of all news is created and spooned from a higher authority in the media chain. The hierarchy of newsrooms and the ownership of media outlets disseminate news values which have become the expected voice and opinion of certain subcultures, sectors, groups and individuals in society.

The small versus the large is an argument played out on many stages. The news and environments in which it is streamed can be for the intended audience of many or in the case of as many as you can get. Small news publications should be solely focused on their immediate vicinity and the news that affects their community markets whilst larger national and global news resources can look towards larger stories that deserve more journalists and resources. 

Will you pay for new journalism?

Journalism is a profession that relies on the flow and output of ideas, opinion and advertising to bring in money. Thus making it apart of a commercial industry driven by the pursuit of profit and commercial status. As this profession starts to evolve and change to new online media, should we paying for this content like we do with other traditional media?

The business of news is ever consuming and can be found in most public arenas through public conversation, hard copies such a newspapers, on television screens, radios and also on hand held devices which come with internet capabilities. We are paying for news in every type of instance. We buy the device that transmits our news and the services (internet, electricity, cars etc) that allow the news to enter our own personal environment and in some cases we pay for the hard copy.

When online news, the new kid on the journalism block, starts asking for users to pay and subscribe, will this be a cost one too many for news seekers?

Murdoch, owner of The Times has made the London online news version a subscription only read. Murdoch's reasoning for the change came down to changing the business model of newspapers in order to gain more revenue outside of advertising. Online news sources popularity initially rose out of its accessibility and free content. If more news outlets with an online medium turn to similar subscription fess like Murdoch are there more outlets to follow and start charging?

Modern society incurs many costs and ongoing fees but paying for something that was once assumed as free will be a tough pill to swallow for many online news observers. A suggestion to soften the blow would be for niche online news (business, finance, specific sports, fashion etc) to make the switch to subscription based reading ahead of common headline news.

Citizen Journalism or a Public Conversation?

Is a citizen journalist the real deal or a mere representation of opinion and gossip?

Journalism and the reporting of news and events is one of the world's oldest professions and that it should remain. Employment in the media requires study at tertiary level and often work experience or internships to step a foot into the competitive industry. The new tirade of blogs, online journals and social networking web sites serve their own function in the realm of commentary and social conversation but do not require degrees, experience or an employer backing your journalism. As a student journalist in her final semester of study, herein lies the difference for me between professional journalist and a citizen journalist. 

Citizen journalism has an effective way of setting the news agenda for media and news outlets and I think this is an important role for audiences of the news. David McKnight, author of the article 'Public Journalism' states that the media have a new responsibility of listening to the public and the news they are engaging with, ignoring and participating in. McKnight says that the media's perception of news audiences are outdated and no longer include "customers to be wooed or audiences to be entertained" but instead modern audiences instill "a public capable of action".

However citizen journalism needs to be kept at arms length in order to differentiate between news and citizen opinion. One of the undeniable problems I find with blogs and social networking sites is its rush for expediency and ignorance of truth, privacy and consequence. An important reference point for journalists working in the Australian media industry is the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance (MEAA) Code of Ethics. The Media Alliance Code of Ethics states that the news be reported with integrity, honesty, fairness and the hallmarks of respect and professional reporting. If bloggers and social networking sites are to be considered professional journalism they need to adhere to or provide a set of governed rules that can regulate their content before publishing goes ahead.