Multi Media Narratives … a media metanarrative?

Well here we are again, this weeks conversation is being triggered by a lecture from Dr Daniel Meadows of Cardiff University, which got me thinking about the subject of multi-media narratives. One of his first points was an extension of where I left off last week, that being the idea that a modern day journalist is not only having to act now as a gatekeeper but also becomes a participator in the media. The media becoming a participatory media is not something new to me as I have been blogging on that subject since I started in Cardiff, however Dr Meadows’ insights into multi-media narratives have shown me yet another side to the modern media.

One of the main points, which have stuck with me from Meadows’ lecture, is that if a story is going to be told, whatever it is, and then it should be told in the best way possible. Now of course this is arguably obvious and one of the problems with this statement is surely that not every news/media outlet can use all forms of story telling (including photographs, film, audio and print). Almost every form of media has the opportunity for multi-media narratives, for example newspapers and magazines can contain text and pictures; obviously traditional radio cannot operate a multi media narrative, yet for listeners listening through a website there is often pages they can link to for pictures on the radio stations’ websites. It might look like this blog isn’t a multi-media narrative, yet I would argue that as I am linking to websites for pictures and films then it is a multi-media narrative.

It seems that a multi-media narrative is a metanarrative in the news industry, whilst it is not always possible to include more than one type of media in a narrative, yet I imagine it is always used where possible. So it seems than multi-media narratives are nothing new, yet what is new(ish) is using viewers/listeners/readers/media consumers in general as the producer of multi media narratives. This is where Dr Meadows’ lecture was focused and where he made me think of further ways of involving the news consumer in the media.

I have looked at how the consumers of news can get into a conversation with the provider of the news in recent weeks well Dr Meadows’ experience adds to this idea. His work with BBC Capture Wales over the past eight years demonstrates how simple it can be for people to bring their own stories to the masses with a small amount of help. Not only does this example of multi-media narratives give people who attended workshops run by Meadows and colleagues an opportunity to learn production/scripting/editing/creative skills, they actually (in some cases) ended up having their story shown on BBC television. Other public projects have been developed around the world (such as Murmur in Canada). These projects not only demonstrate some of the methods behind media decisions to the people who are involved, but they show a greater involvement of the general public in the media and allows their unique individual stories to be heard. This surely is another way of people feeling like they have a voice in the media and therefore must democratise the media.
I have suggested that multi-media narratives have been a metanarrative (where possible) for a number of years – yet Meadows’ experience demonstrates multi-media narratives used by consumers to communicate with the media.

Networked Journalism in the Mass Media Age …surely that’s nothing new?

Well here we are again with another entry, which I fear will ask more questions than it answers. This post will also jump on a bandwagon mentioned in my previous entries; as I shall be looking at how things have changed due to the new media and how these developments are still evolving with no clear idea where they will go.

Whatever is happening I believe passionately that networks and journalism cannot exist without each other. However, when I say networks I am not really talking about computer and internet networks, I am literally talking about listening to people and developing a book of contacts as well as an excellent knowledge in a subject or geographical area. Yet, the interactivity of the internet must assist in the worlds of networking and journalism. My previous entries have explored user-generated content and how the general public can help in sourcing footage, commentary and stories for news outlets, yet I would argue that networking is taking this communication to the next level.

The news media will always have monitored groups of interest and departments to gain storied, well this can be made easier with information on the internet on various websites, forums, group spaces, online searches and social networking sites. Therefore I would argue that the new media has given journalists an extra arena to network. Not only can we see news organisations using the new media to provide information about their news stories along with details of their other outputs, they can use the new media to help find some of the stories that they report and investigate. What must still remain at the centre of journalism in this day and age is a checking of the facts in a story. It may have become easier to source stories and/or information but there is always potential for inaccuracies, anyone connected to the internet can write on the web with it appearing within minutes.

Therefore, the modern day journalist must act as a gatekeeper continually checking their stories and regularly making editorial decisions about content and the news worthiness of a story. The Web2 has given users greater access to ways to contribute to the internet and stories making opinions and views easier to track down with items being shared quickly which means any mistakes can be read/watched/consumed within seconds, thus forcing journalists to carry on checking their stories which cannot often be possible to do via the new media.

So journalism and networking seem inseparable and new ways of networking are continually emerging with the ever evolving new media, yet I do not see this as an excuse to let standards fall. My blog posts so far comment on the advances in news platforms created by the internet and demonstrate some of the ways in which well established news organisations have used them alongside, and to promote, their traditional medium if communicating daily events. Standards must be maintained in order for the profession to survive, especially in this age, as it is so easy for anyone to report the news people will look elsewhere if they lose trust in journalists.
The web brings a new version of networked journalism, which I would argue it is necessary for journalists to be a part of, whilst at the same time maintaining more traditional networks to gain stories and contacts.

User Generated Content (UGC)/Citizen Journalism…The Debate

Does it really make a difference if a news story is followed because of a suggestion from a viewer or due to reporters’ investigations? Well the answer to that question seems to depend on everyone’s individual opinion. Many broadcasters do seem to support it and have put money and resources for example comments page on the BBC News website and CNN’s IReport.

A blog entry on the BBC Website by Matthew Eltringham (their assistant editor of interactivity) shows an expansion in the BBC’s commitment to converse with the audience. They have not only added new areas for “conversations” by branching out to non BBC platforms, they have appointed a correspondent to specifically investigate and report on viewers’ stories. It is clear to me that the audience are becoming more and more valuable to the content of a news program in this increasingly technical age. Yet, it is the replies to his blog post which seem to demonstrate the areas of debate. At the time of writing this there are some fairly welcoming comments to the recent developments and some others nervous of this part of this increasing part of the media. It will take time for people to understand how useful user generated stories will become and many press organisations seem to be increasingly incorporating UGC into their output.

So that is UGC being used to inform news providers of the news covered, but of course there is more to UGC than this. Arguably the most obvious examples of UGC are video, pictures and witness statements related to news stories. An example which remains in my mind is the viewers’ statements and pictures after the Buncefield Refinery fire in December 2005. From where I live I heard the explosion but had no idea what caused it, within a few minutes pictures from the general public and witnesses who had phoned in were on various news services. To me the uses of this type of UGC are obvious, although various faked images have been seen as real (for example a picture posted on CNN’s IReport claiming to show a fire in Scotland), yet I imagine when information is checked viewers’ pictures and comments are essential in this rolling news world.

Although a recent lecture about user generated content by Dr Andy Williams of Cardiff University made me think about the potential of UGC to help democratise the news media. He mentioned that some websites are appearing around the world where news reports can be written on the site by anyone. Whatever you think of greater involvement of viewers/consumers in reporting news there is a sence that the news is being democratised. However to realise how democratic this twenty-first century news media is there must be some investigation into what percentage of the population contact news organisations and what backgrounds they’re from.
UGC seems here to stay although how far can it go? Will editors still have control of what makes the news? Or will hoax stories become easier to break?

The Internet and Web2...a whole new journalistic world?

After just two and a bit weeks at Cardiff Journalism School it is becoming increasingly clear that journalism is (and I guess media and communication in general are) changing. Before arriving in Cardiff I thought I was fairly computer literate; however I have found that not to be the case. What with Twitter, Wikis, blogging, social book marking and the rest I found myself sinking in the ever changing world of the World Wide Web.

I had heard of some of these web tools, yet never thought I would find myself blogging or sitting in a newsroom having a discussion about how similar Facebook status updates and Twitter are and whether we need to have both. What brought it home to me that it is necessary for a potential journalist to be web aware is the realisation that newspapers started appearing in the UK during 1700’s with many examples still around today, yet the Internet is seen to have continually evolved and changed in my life time let alone since its arrival in 1969.

I fully appreciate the need in this modern age for consumers to have news and analysis brought to them as soon as is possible and more often than not it is done through the Internet; hence why for example the BBC News editor’s blogs are so popular as is the daily Snowmail from Channel 4 News). These seem staple parts of the modern media and news organisations and even though there are so many websites, email newsletters and blogs out there we all have our trusted and favourite ones.

Although I remain ‘open-mindedly’ sceptical (if I can invent that term) about the use of Twitter and other services I hadn’t heard of until last week, I do understand the need to use them especially after June. I am still unsure why hundreds of people, let alone people on my course, would care about what I was doing. I guess I shall just have to wait and see whether I get used to them in the coming few weeks, after all the move from MySpace to Facebook wasn’t fully embraced by many of my friends last year let alone the recent simple changes to the look of Facebook.

All in all journalism seems to need the web in order to survive as whoever writes news stories they are more than likely to end up on the net first, so why shouldn’t it be journalists? I assume the next few weeks will prove to me the uses of Twitter, social book marking and the rest I shall just have to wait and see.

Well that’s my first blog and it has not been half as painful and confusing as I thought it would be! So till the next time…