By Maida Khan
In traditional media organizations, flow of information including facts and figures plus feedback reaches the mass audiences after filtration process, in accordance to agenda of that specific organization. Ex- marketing manager of Google, Wael Ghonim stated while giving interview to CNN: ‘if you want to liberate society just give them internet’. Similarly, internet especially social networking sites have provided audiences with opportunities to voice their opinion regarding some issue, to cross check the facts and see counter narrative or second angle of some news story. Audiences feel empowered on social media unlike mainstream media. News organizations are well aware that now they can’t mislead their audiences much. Following points are based on my personal observation and my research about how digital media transformation especially the growth of internet afterwards social media affected the traditional agenda-setting role of the news media:
News media remains highly active on social media: News organizations are now highly active on their official websites and popular social media networking pages especially Facebook and Twitter to reach their audience and keep them engaged with their content using several strategies.
News organizations are hiring creative staff to deal with online audiences: News organizations especially print media are hiring creative staff to deal with online audiences. For example: Dawn’s Readers’ Editor. Apparently, it looks like they welcome feedback in form of appreciation as well as criticism from audiences’ side; which they do. But, it is also part of their agenda to create credibility and space for their organization among online audiences by showing their feedback is important.
News organizations try to sound neutral on social media pages and official website: Except some news organizations, rests are very careful and concerned about the content they share online. They know that social media is used by their rival news organizations also therefore; they try to sound neutral by carefully playing with words. This is also part of their agenda to gain public trust by not sounding biased while giving some bias news or opinion.
News organizations use social media as marketing tool for content which they share on mainstream media: News organizations use social media as marketing tool for the content they share on mainstream media. All famous news organizations share their content on online mediums as well so; their audiences can see it without any time constraint. But, sometimes agenda behind sharing the content on social media is to make it go viral to increase ratings of some program. People might not watch any program on regular basis but when they get to know about some controversial viral content they definitely go and look for that specific piece of content which results in increased TRP (Television Rating Point) with the help of social media.
Affect of social media on journalism practices: Rise of social media has also influenced news giving/gathering behavior of journalists. Opinion leaders rely on social media as their news source and use tweets by some officials in their programs and news stories as evidences. Social media is emerging as news source for journalist. Print media is also not far behind electronic media after the proliferation of internet and social media. They also introduced live news section on their website where they share news before it gets published traditionally in the form of news paper. They keep sharing news on social media pages along with the URL of news stories. At times, when it is not possible to do live reporting citizen journalists also act as source of information for mainstream journalists. For example: scene of Gaza bombing captured from window of someone living nearby later on, shared on social media acted as an evidence for journalists.
Mobile news applications: Accessibility of smart phones made it easy for common people to use social media through applications. Apart from applications of social networking sites, news organizations have developed their own applications for smart phones as an agenda to reach their audiences through this mean as well. They propagate news via other applications also. For example: use of Viber by BBC to inform people about safety measures and other relevant stuff after earthquake in Nepal.
Growth of internet after boom of social media within couple of years and the way it hit traditional agenda setting of news media and advertising sector is just astonishing. Role of news media is to inform people about what is happening in their surroundings. And now, large proportion of their audiences has shifted to online mediums especially social networking sites therefore, staying on the side line is not an appropriate option for them to compete in this age of technology. It can be concluded that social media is more like a platform for news media to advertise their content among online audiences. Their agenda has changed in a way that they keep on developing creative strategies for reaching their online audience to increase ratings and traffic on their websites and pages. Just like mainstream media they get paid advertisements for heavy traffic on their page or website. Social media as a whole is not alternative of news media but much of its part in shape of blogs, pages, websites and videos is used by news media to promote the same political and public agenda they carries under traditional news offices.
About Author
Author is an aspiring journalist. She is multi-talented and very much committed to her work. She started her career in journalism as reporter from PTV News Islamabad. She did not confine herself to journalism field only. She is great writer, director, producer and photographer. She has excellent communication skills. “Jack of all trades” is an appropriate term to define her versatile personality.