Influence of Technology

"Instant connectivity to the world at large is a reason people use social media." (Billington & Billington, 2012, p.12)  Our awareness of the omnipresence of social media make it imperative to train communicators how to communicate in a virtual world.  Individuals use social media for specific reasons.  The following table shows these usages.

As 

Billington and Billington feel that social media brings people together, "the authors' perspective is that social media actually aid the formation of communities." (Billington & Billington, 2012, p.12) These platforms allow people to connect based on similar interests.  Business owners need to use the potential connectivity that new media offers to collaborate with a larger audience. 

"Among the factors that have driven to move to convergence, which is also known as multiplatform journalism or multiplatform publishing, is the need of consumers who desire access to news and information whenever they wish it at any time of the day." (Auger, Tanes-Ehle & Gee, 2017, p.214)
Communicators who utilize technology correctly have a closer relationship with their consumer and ultimately are more successful.

References

Auger, G. A., Tanes-Ehle, Z., & Gee, C. (2017). A Phenomenological Study of Student Experiences in a Multiplatform Journalism Course. Journalism and Mass Communication Educator, 72(2), 212–227. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eric&AN=EJ1141764&site=eds-live&scope=site

  

Billington, M. G., & Billington, P. J. (2012). Social Media Tools for Leaders and Managers. Table 1 and Figure 2. Journal of Leadership, Accountability & Ethics, 9(6), 11–19. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bsu&AN=89879739&site=eds-live&scope=site

Convergence is ON! 5 Facts

As communicators it is especially important to remember that we find ourselves in a rapidly changing time of new media.  I am going to give you 5 facts about social media convergence.  This change is happening at an exponential rate!  All of these facts are taken from the attached YouTube video titled, Did You Know?  I pulled out the ones that really got my attention but really the entire video is great!  

1-By 2020 the mobile device is going to be our primary connection to the Internet.

2-American's have access to 1,000,000,000,000 web pages.

3-Digital advertising is up, we all know that, but newspaper circulation is down 7 million over the last 25 years.

4-Myspace, YouTube and Facebook have a combined number of 250 million visitors each month.

5-The average American teenager sends approximately 2,272 texts per month!

Due to the speed and spread of information everyone needs to think before they share everything with a mobile audience.  This is especially true for journalists who are pressured to be the first to report a story, at times they may be "reporting a story" as it is happening.  Legal and ethical issues can arise because the dissemination of information is instantaneous.  "The best practitioners of convergence journalism need to understand the basic legal and ethical rules of the road and where to go to follow the changes and updates needed to move ahead legally and ethically." (Kolodzy, 2013, p. 63) 

References

Kolodzy, J. (2013). Practicing Convergence Journalism. An introduction to cross-media storytelling. Routledge. New York, NY.

Pixabay picture retrieved from https://pixabay.com/en/social-media-you-tube-facebook-1177293/

SNHU COCE Assistive Technology. (2017, August 11th). Did you know? [Video File]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/upKuCQPw8wQ

Backpack Journalism

Journalism has shifted with the advent of new media.  Reporters can report on stories as they happen, in some cases while news is happening.  "Each reporter must possess impeccable news judgement and reporting and writing skills." (Dunn, 2008, p. 21) Dunn goes on to say flexibility is also a skill that this new type of backpack journalists need to possess.  "Each must also be willing to try new concepts and technology, as we continue to experiment with methods that provide our Web visitors with a more timely, useful product. (Dunn, 2008, p. 21)

Backpack journalism is especially popular with younger journalists who have lived their entire lives engrossed in new media reporting, this affords them greater adaptability in technology.  "The concept of social media natives (younger journalists) suggests that younger people have spent their entire surrounded by and using Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and all other available social media." (Brandtzaeg, 2018, p. 101) The new generation of journalists literally have the news at their fingertips.

References

Brandtzaeg, P. B., & Domínguez, M. Á. C. (2018). A Gap in Networked Publics? A Comparison of Younger and Older Journalists’ Newsgathering Practices on Social Media. Nordicom Review, 39(1), 95–109. https://doi-org.ezproxy.snhu.edu/10.2478/nor-2018-0004

  

Dunn, B. (2008). Backpack Journalism: Taking Web News To It’s Logical Extreme. (cover story). Quill, 96(2), 20–21. Retrieved fromhttp://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=31293928&site=eds-live&scope=site

Iven, William. Picture retrieved from https://unsplash.com/photos/SpVHcbuKi6E