Digital Journalism - All You Need To Know: Introduction

Summary

Digital journalism is the creation and distribution of news online in various formats, offering interactivity and multiple formats like podcasts, long-form articles, and videos. It allows audiences to actively participate and share content, impacting breaking news speed but also raising disinformation concerns. Journalists must be accountable for online publications, and the internet serves as a source for stories, with social media updates and audience submissions shaping news coverage.

Takeaways

• 🌐 Digital journalism involves producing and publishing news on the internet in various formats.
• 📈 It offers the best of all mediums, providing flexibility in how stories are presented, from long-form articles to tweets.
• 🎙️ Podcasts and live streams have replaced radio, while photographs and videos have become more versatile, replacing traditional print and TV.
• 🔄 Digital journalism allows for multi-format storytelling, enabling stories to appear in different formats simultaneously.
• 🤝 Interactivity is a key feature, where audiences can participate in the story, not just consume it.
• 🔗 Digital stories can include embedded links, interactive charts, maps, and even 3D virtual experiences.
• 📢 Digital content is highly shareable, impacting the speed of breaking news and the spread of information.
• ⚠️ The shareability of digital journalism has also led to the spread of disinformation and misinformation.
• 💬 Digital journalism encourages audience participation through comments, giving users a sense of ownership over the news.
• 🔍 The internet serves as a primary or secondary source for journalists, providing access to a wealth of research and information.
• 🌟 Digital journalism is dynamic and will continue to evolve as the internet itself evolves.

Q & A

What is digital journalism?

Digital journalism is the act of producing and publishing news on the internet in a variety of formats.

How does digital journalism differ from print, TV, and radio?

Digital journalism offers interactivity, the ability to present stories in multiple formats simultaneously, and the capacity for audiences to become interactive participants.

What are some examples of how digital journalism can present stories in different formats?

Digital journalism can present stories as podcasts, voice notes, live streams, varying lengths of text, photographs, gifs, short video clips, or long videos on platforms like YouTube.

What is the significance of interactivity in digital journalism?

Interactivity allows journalists to present stories in a way that the audience can become a part of what is being presented, transforming them from passive consumers to active participants.

Can you provide an example of interactivity in digital journalism?

An example is embeddable links in stories that allow users to click and go to primary sources or related content.

How does digital journalism's shareability impact news dissemination?

Digital journalism's shareability allows audiences to share content across communities and individuals, making it faster than print or TV for breaking news but also leading to disinformation and misinformation.

What role do comments play in digital journalism?

Comments in digital journalism give users greater ownership of the news, allowing them to comment on stories and make their opinions a part of the narrative.

How does digital journalism use the internet as a source?

The internet serves as a primary or secondary source for journalists, providing access to a vast amount of research and information that defines the story.

Can you give an example of how digital journalism uses social media updates?

CNN used social media updates to keep users informed about the earthquake in Haiti, curating content from audience submissions.

What is the final major quality that defines digital journalism according to the script?

The final major quality that defines digital journalism is its ability to evolve with the internet, being defined in many new ways as the internet continues to change.

How does the role of a digital journalist differ from that of a traditional journalist?

A digital journalist must be adept at producing content in various formats and engaging with an interactive audience, whereas a traditional journalist typically focuses on one medium and a passive audience.