The emergence of social media has pricked the bubble we live in to reveal terabytes of information that influence how we view the world.
The availability of social media channels means that everyone can now be a journalist, publisher and editor of their own content. However, in this digital day and age, content is meaningless without personality. Readers want their content packaged with personality and to be captivated within seconds. They want to be drawn in and to connect with what they are reading in the news.
One platform that has been hugely significant in real-time media content sharing that’s been successful, is via smartphones. In 2014, we saw some traditional news agencies revamp their journalistic approach by tapping into digital content from online citizens. This change came as a result of the understanding that the everyday reader has progressed from being a passive receiver of information to being a potential participant, all from the palm of their mobile device. What other trends can we expect 2015 to bring to the media landscape?
The blurry lines between traditional and digital media
As technology continues to advance, the lines between traditional and digital media will remain blurred. The convergence of traditional and digital media will also create new business opportunites to make available crowdsourced news distribution and payent platforms to help easet he process of curating user-generated content. Traditional media organisations who are resistent to involve user-generated content into their newsrooms will feel the pinch from new competition via more advanced markets.
User-generated content has given more people the power to share their stories with the rest of the world. Amateur journalists, photographers and the “average Joe” can now speak to a global audience. Such is the power of the smartphone – enabling us to tweet, post and inform others all from our pockets.
Media drones will become a norm
Recent natural catastrophes and protests in Kiev have provided news media organisations the opportunity to test the capabilities of unmanned drones for video newsgathering.
With the affordability of sensors, small drones can be built to access and capture aerial footage of an event. Having been in use by hobbyists and photographers alike to capture stunning aerial images for several years now, major media outlets have started to put serious efforts into exploring their use for reporting and verifying news. As such, media drones have been hailed as the future of journalism, with industry analysts predicting they’ll be in common use in 2015.
Newsroom technology no longer confined
Imagine being caught in the middle of a breaking news scene and having the ability to do live video streaming from your smartphone to be shared with a newswroom within minutes? Such is the reality we’ll be living in where newsroom technology is no longer confined within a broadcasting centre alone.
The idea of citizen journalism is built on the foundation that public citizens can play an active part in the collecting, reporting and dissemination of news.
As such it is important that newsroom technology is available to provide citizen journalists with video streaming capabilities to get the best news to the rest of the world.
For example, there are companies that will allow news organisations to plug into verified, produced, secure live streams from citizen and/or staff reporters, worldwide, 24/7.
Informing the world
We are at a crossroads where fact is ephemeral without flair. With a plethora of technologies available, we are undeniably in the best era to boost the media industry so that we can inform the world in the best manner. Tapping into these trends will inevitably elevate media content to resonate with others. The media landscape and the delivery of news is only set to become more exciting in the coming years…this is only the beginning.
About the Author:
Alex Hartman, co-founder and executive chairman of Newzulu.
