NDM News: The future of Journalism
One of the key aspects of our case study is considering the impact new and digital media is having on journalism and the vital role news plays in society.
John Oliver on journalism
British comedian John Oliver presents a show called Last Week Tonight on HBO in America. Last year, he put together a report on the decline of journalism in America and its replacement by 'clickbait' stories rather than real news.
1) Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this?
Clay Shirky argues that "accountability journalism" is so important because it is essentially something that keeps corruption of people under control. He believes that it provides a more in-depth information of what actually is going on within the news and stories that we receive on the news. It is a higher quality news. An example would be that he gave was the movie "Spotlight" where a group of journalists try and solve a case regarding sexual assault against children. Shirky essentially believes that the society would be under control by the corrupt one if it wasn't for quality journalism.
2) What does Shirky say about the relationship between newspapers and advertisers? Which websites does he mention as having replaced major revenue-generators for newspapers (e.g. jobs, personal ads etc.)?
Shirky clarified that it was due to advertising that journalism became the best it could be with the best quality. The relationship between newspapers and advertises is that it was an accident to pair profit with public value. Essentially, it wasn an accident for advertises to successfully join with newspaper firms. The newspaper industry were able to control the advertisers which the advertisers had to overpay for the services they received, due to very little alternatives they had at the time. He mentions a company his friend had set up called Xerox PARC clarifying that there was wide investment in Ethernet and graphic user interface.
3) Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?
Shirky suggests that audiences are consuming news stories in the digital differently. An example would be that The times newspaper has lost a huge amount of readers and it is due to the fact that the readers now consume news stories on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook where the users of that particular platform share it.
4) Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?
The majority of the audience for The Globe were Catholics and by reading a story that is to do with their religion is something that they will spread across the community. It happened so much that it carried on and people kept on spreading and spreading on a global scale.
The paper (back then) didn't just attract people. The majority of the audience for Boston Globe were Catholics, and by reader a story that is to do with their religion is something that they will spread across the community. So much so, that the audience numbers were like a chain reaction, spreading and spreading on a global scale.
5) Why does Shirky argue against paywalls?
A paywall is an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site. Shirky argues against paywalls because he feels that not many of the consumers are going to pay for it to access it considering the fact that there are many other free sites that give as much information that the site with the paywall.
6) What is a 'social good'? In what way is journalism a 'social good'?
A "social good" is something that impacts a large number of people positively. Essentially, it is something that benefits a large number of people in many different ways positively. Journalism is a "social good" due to the fact that it allows a very large number of people to access news and receive recent news and stories about what is happening around the world.
7) Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?
Clay Shirky suggests that newspapers are something "irreplaceable" due to the fact that it is one source where accountable journalism can take place. He believes that although the media is taking away the readers and it has a vast growth and success, it is not enough to replace the newspaper industry in the future.
8) Look at the first question and answer regarding institutional power. Give us your own opinion: how important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?
John Oliver on journalism
British comedian John Oliver presents a show called Last Week Tonight on HBO in America. Last year, he put together a report on the decline of journalism in America and its replacement by 'clickbait' stories rather than real news.
Clay Shirky on news: don’t build a paywall around a public good
Clay Shirky is a professor at New York University and a worldwide expert on digital and social media. He's a vital media theorist for our case study on News and he makes a compelling argument for the role news plays in society. Interestingly, he argues against paywalls - presenting an alternative to David Simon's Build The Wall argument that you have already studied and posted to your blog.
Go to the Nieman Lab webpage (part of Harvard university) and watch the video of Clay Shirky presenting to Harvard students. Play the clip AND read along with the transcript below to ensure you are following the argument. You need to watch from the beginning to 29.35 (the end of Shirky's presentation).
1) Why does Clay Shirky argue that 'accountability journalism' is so important and what example does he give of this?
Clay Shirky argues that "accountability journalism" is so important because it is essentially something that keeps corruption of people under control. He believes that it provides a more in-depth information of what actually is going on within the news and stories that we receive on the news. It is a higher quality news. An example would be that he gave was the movie "Spotlight" where a group of journalists try and solve a case regarding sexual assault against children. Shirky essentially believes that the society would be under control by the corrupt one if it wasn't for quality journalism.
2) What does Shirky say about the relationship between newspapers and advertisers? Which websites does he mention as having replaced major revenue-generators for newspapers (e.g. jobs, personal ads etc.)?
Shirky clarified that it was due to advertising that journalism became the best it could be with the best quality. The relationship between newspapers and advertises is that it was an accident to pair profit with public value. Essentially, it wasn an accident for advertises to successfully join with newspaper firms. The newspaper industry were able to control the advertisers which the advertisers had to overpay for the services they received, due to very little alternatives they had at the time. He mentions a company his friend had set up called Xerox PARC clarifying that there was wide investment in Ethernet and graphic user interface.
3) Shirky talks about the 'unbundling of content'. This means people are reading newspapers in a different way. How does he suggest audiences are consuming news stories in the digital age?
Shirky suggests that audiences are consuming news stories in the digital differently. An example would be that The times newspaper has lost a huge amount of readers and it is due to the fact that the readers now consume news stories on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook where the users of that particular platform share it.
4) Shirky also talks about the power of shareable media. How does he suggest the child abuse scandal with the Catholic Church may have been different if the internet had been widespread in 1992?
The majority of the audience for The Globe were Catholics and by reading a story that is to do with their religion is something that they will spread across the community. It happened so much that it carried on and people kept on spreading and spreading on a global scale.
The paper (back then) didn't just attract people. The majority of the audience for Boston Globe were Catholics, and by reader a story that is to do with their religion is something that they will spread across the community. So much so, that the audience numbers were like a chain reaction, spreading and spreading on a global scale.
5) Why does Shirky argue against paywalls?
A paywall is an arrangement whereby access is restricted to users who have paid to subscribe to the site. Shirky argues against paywalls because he feels that not many of the consumers are going to pay for it to access it considering the fact that there are many other free sites that give as much information that the site with the paywall.
6) What is a 'social good'? In what way is journalism a 'social good'?
A "social good" is something that impacts a large number of people positively. Essentially, it is something that benefits a large number of people in many different ways positively. Journalism is a "social good" due to the fact that it allows a very large number of people to access news and receive recent news and stories about what is happening around the world.
7) Shirky says newspapers are in terminal decline. How does he suggest we can replace the important role in society newspapers play? What is the short-term danger to this solution that he describes?
Clay Shirky suggests that newspapers are something "irreplaceable" due to the fact that it is one source where accountable journalism can take place. He believes that although the media is taking away the readers and it has a vast growth and success, it is not enough to replace the newspaper industry in the future.
8) Look at the first question and answer regarding institutional power. Give us your own opinion: how important is it that major media brands such as the New York Times or the Guardian continue to stay in business and provide news?
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