The Flipside of Social Media

You know what one of my favorite philosophies is? Duality.  Light and darkness, good and evil; you can't have one without the other.  This is also the case with other aspects of life.  For every respectful member of a fandom, there's always that jerk that gets angry because you don't agree with them.  For everyone that can take criticism for their work, there's someone who thinks everything they do is art.  And unfortunately, when it comes to communications technology, for every positive, there's a negative.

Case in point, while modern technology has been able to allow us to connect with people in new and unique ways, it's also allowed people to hurt and abuse people and get away Scot-free.  It's described in better detail in the video "The Dark Side of the Internet", which you can find here, but to summarize, anyone can go online and essentially do whatever they want, and thanks to the power of anonymity, not have to worry about consequences.  To make an example, I could go online right now and create a new account under a false name, and no one would be able to tell it was me, allowing me to go to any site I desire and, well, make fun of or abuse whomever I want.  No one would be able to tell if it was me, and while my online persona would probably get dragged through the mud, my public persona would remain intact unless someone managed to connect the dots.

Plus, just as new technology has introduced new methods for businesses to connect with employees/clientele, so to do other organizations, including terrorist groups.  According to the article "Communications Technology and Terrorism", the advent of satellite and the internet has opened new avenues for terrorist organizations to recruit and connect with potential converts/targets, and Al-Qaeda even "employed the Internet for 'cyberplanning', while the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) publishes online magazines (e.g., Dabiq and Rumiyah) that (i) provide volumes on their ideology, (ii) encourage readers to contribute financially, (iii) teach their followers how to conduct terrorist attacks, and (iv) provide links to assassination videos conducted by their members" (Mahmood, Jetter, 2019).

Put simply, yes, technology has opened many new avenues of exploration and connections that we as a society may take advantage of, but there is always a flipside to these types of scenarios, and we need to be aware of what those may be at times.

References

Mahmood, R., & Jetter, M. (2019). Communications Technology and Terrorism. Journal of Conflict Resolution 2020, vol. 64(1), 127-166, doi: 10.1177/0022002719843989

Image Sources:

[Yin Yang Symbol]. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Yin_and_Yang/

Anyone Can Make It

For any general audience member who happens to find this blog, did you know that at the time I'm writing this blog post, I'm getting my Master's online?  But of course, you're probably wondering, "Sam, why the Hell are you telling me this?  I'm not here for your life story, I'm here to learn about technology and journalism!"  My response to that is (1), you don't have to be so rude about this, I haven't done anything to you, and (2), I'm bringing this up because the fact that I'm able to attend college to this degree at all shows how far technology has come.



Heck, the fact that you're even reading this post at all shows how far we've come.  And it's not just limited to reading posts either; technology can allow for new kinds of work training.  According to the article "Prisoner use of information and communications technology", a number of programs have been introduced into prison systems that each have roots in new technologies, such as educational programs that "have been found to reduce the likelihood of reoffending and thus improve an offender’s chances of reintegrating into society" (Kerr, Willis, 2018), the institution of virtual campuses, such as what I mentioned above (see, I know what I'm doing sometimes), and the advent of these technologies has "also enabled correctional departments to improve and broaden the employment programs available in correctional facilities" (Kerr, Willis, 2018).



To sum it up, the use of technology can not only connect us in new ways, but it can also open new opportunities for people, and allow them to do things and work in areas that they would never have been able to do.

References

Kerr, A., & Willis, M. (2018). Prisoner use of information and communications technology. Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, (560), 1-19.

Image Sources:

[Career School Now]. Retrieved from https://careerschoolnow.org/careers/online-college

Bank, W. (2014). Inmates at Quencoro Penitentiary make textiles. [Photo]. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2014/03/12/peru-trabajar-desde-la-prision-una-salida-para-miles-de-reclusos-en-latinoamerica

Why Skynet's Already Won

Don't worry, I'm not saying the machine's have taken over the world.  But I will say that it wouldn't take much effort for them to try.

Let's be honest people; machines are everywhere!  Every day, we carry portable computers in our pockets that not only play our music, but allow us to call friends and family, check the whether, and play games.  On top of that, they can also keep track of our schedules, where we go, what sites we visit, need I go on?  Technology has invaded every facet of our lives, and as a consequence, drastically altered how we go about our days.



To give an example, let's look at the article "Tapping Technology to Advance the Future of Journalism".  In said article, the author, Sam Dolnick, lists off various ways that technology has affected his daily routine, including how he checks his phone every time he wakes up (something we all do, admit it!), checks his email, reads the NY Times Newsletter and Opinions pages, and finally how his daughter "will usually ask Alexa to play a terrible song — the democratization of music choice is one of the untold perils of the modern era. Then, Alexa will thankfully interrupt with an alarm that it’s time to leave for the bus" (Dolnick, 2018).

He further goes on to state that with the advent of digital tech, the Times has continued to grow and change, including pushing into virtual reality, making a visual first edition of the Times for Instagram users, and even delving into audio journalism (Dolnick, 2018).  Put simply, as technology has continued to grow and change, so to has our uses for it.  It has become a major part of our lives, and even if you refuse to change with the times, you're still ingratiated in this world, whether you like it or not.

References

Dolnick, S. (2018). Tapping Technology to Advance the Future of Journalism. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/technology/personaltech/technology-future-journalism.html

Image Sources:

[Skynet Cyberdyne Systems Corporation Logo]. Retrieved from https://www.textualtees.com/products/skynet-t-shirt

[Sam Dolnick checking his phone]. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/03/technology/personaltech/technology-future-journalism.html

Evolve or Die

The writing's on the wall; what was once state of the art technology will one day become an obsolete antique.  We see it all the time; VCRs get replaced by DVD players, video game consoles get replaced by the next generation, new phones that come out every year or two, MySpace gets replaced by Facebook, etc.  Technology grows and changes as time moves on, and whether we like it or not, we have to change with it, otherwise we'll be left in the dust.  To quote the article "16 Skills Every Marketing Pro Should Master In 2018";

"With all of these new tools comes a demand for a new set of skills to use them" (Forbes Communications Council, 2017)

Ergo, it becomes important to know what the latest trends are and how we can best change with them.  By doing this, we can not only be aware of our audience, but can most likely think of ways to get them more interested in our stories (as, like I mentioned in the last article, the amount of interest in a story does also depend on the person).  I actually recommend checking out the article in question, which you can find here.  It lists multiple strategies that can be employed in communications and journalism that can helps users adapt.  But in the end, it all comes down to one thing.  In order to stay relevant in our modern time, we need to learn how to use the latest technology while being aware of changing social trends.  If we can grasp both of these factors, it can in turn help us to improve our own communications skills and better connect with our audience.

References

Forbes Communication Council. (2017). 16 Skills Every Marketing Pro Should Master In 2018. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2017/12/21/16-skills-every-marketing-pro-should-master-in-2018/#6a8730c0345b

Image Sources:

Twin Design. (n.d.). Old vs new technology [Stock picture]. Retrieved from https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/old-vs-new-technology-1130860016

Where, When, and How?

In my last post, I discussed the beginnings of technology in relation to journalism and communication.  For this post, I would like to discuss how social media has influenced how news is gathered, and how it affects dissemination.  With the advent of social media, news organizations aren't just relegated to getting information on recent events via on the job interviews.  Instead, they can go to Twitter or other social media platforms and gather information from eye witnesses who tweeted about the event while it was occurring.  Now, in some cases, this isn't a regular practice as eyewitness reports seized through social media can be biased, but the fact that it is a usable resource at all just shows how far we've come in our technology.  Plus, while it may not be used all the time, it has been done.  For example, in the article "Technology and Journalism: 'Dissolving' Social Media Content into Disaster Reporting on Three Chinese Disasters", senior journalist Jinrong Tong looked at five major news sources from China and Britain as they reported on three major disasters and how many times they used social media for reference.  Eventually, they found that "the Chinese newspapers quoted content from social media 131 times, while their British counterparts did so only nine times" (Tong, 2017).  The British papers mostly cited social media for the purpose of "debunking stories on social media as fake or based on rumours or by exposing criminal activities on social media intended to exploit the disaster for personal gain" (Tong, 2017), while the Chinese papers mostly quoted social media for the sake of public interest, such as monitoring government activities and individuals.



Regardless of the reason, the fact that papers were able to use social media as reference shows how far technology has come.  Even today, thanks to technology, people can access news information from anywhere!  Although, a downside to this is that, depending on the person, the amount of news accessed may not change.  In the article "Interactive uses of journalism: crossing between technological potential and young people’s news-using practices" a study was performed with young Finns (nickname for residents of Finland), they found that "even though young Finns have easy access to new communication technology, journalism is still predominantly used via television and printed newspapers" and that "technology alone does not seem to alter news practices" (Hujanen  & Pietikäinen, 2004).  As such, while technology can give us access to new means of news dissemination, it depends on our own interest whether we use it.



References

Tong, J. (2017). Technology and Journalism: 'Dissolving' Social Media Content into Disaster Reporting on Three Chinese Disasters. The International Communication Gazette 2017, Vol. 79(4) 400–418. doi: 10.1177/1748048516682142

Hujanen, J., & Pietikäinen, S. (2004). Interactive uses of journalism: crossing between technological potential and young people’s news-using practices. New Media & Society, vol 6(3), 383-401. doi: 10.1177/1461444804042521

Image Sources:

Clker-Free-Vector-Images / 29583 images (2014). Twitter Tweet Twitter Bird Social Network Internet [Image]. Retrieved from https://pixabay.com/vectors/twitter-tweet-twitter-bird-312464/

[Teenager on her phone]. Retrieved from https://www.netdoctor.co.uk/parenting/teenager/a28210/kids-always-on-phone/

Lights! Camera! ACTION!!!

COME ONE, COME ALL!  Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, it is my pristine honor to introduce to you, one of the greatest wonders of the modern world!  Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you, TECHNOLOGY!

Over the years, technology has become a more prominent aspect of our lives, whether we like it or not.  With advances in technology coming as far as they have, the ways we perform our every day tasks has continued to change and advance as well, especially in journalism and communications.  Even before we had our modern amenities, technology has always continued to grow, as well as how we've integrated it into our everyday lives.  For example, let's take the Wayback machine and go back to the early 1900s, specifically, to the world of film.  According to the article "Exhibitors, Technology, and Industrial Journalism in The 1910s and 1920s", Industrial Journalism continued to grow and change with the time.  In fact certain individuals, such as entrepreneur Horace M. Swetland claimed that "The basic purpose of Industrial Journalism is to assist in the production and distribution of commodities" (Swetland, 1923). Essentially, journalism wasn't just there to inform, but "through lectures, books, and organizational activities, Swetland and the nation’s other leading business publishers sought to legitimize their profession and argue for its importance to American industry" (Hoyt, 2015).



They did this through various means, specifically, as the article mentions, three industrial periodicals called technical, class and trade.  Technical journals were mainly used for "disseminating technical knowledge, legitimizing the organization, and policing the boundaries between insiders and outsiders" (Hoyt, 2015).  In fact, technical journals were used as a means of instructing people on how to use and operate technologies, with an example being the "Motion Picture Handbook for Managers and Operators" (pictured above).  This was actually a collection of articles that the author, F. H. Richardson, had published for Moving Pictures World, and over the years, such articles were eventually brought together in other publications for handy use and reference, including Accessory News, Better Theatres which was published by the Exhibitors Herald, all of which have been digitized for online use.  In fact, according to the article, with the aid of the search engine of the MHDL, Lantern, "a researcher can type in “arc lamp” and almost immediately generate hundreds of matching results. This is the power of a digital search index, which organizes data in a way that
allows them to be quickly queried and retrieved" (Hoyt, 2015).

I will go into more detail about the evolution of technology in future posts, but as you can see, how we disseminated information, and how we retrieved it, have changed over the years.  What we once had to look up in a written article we can now find online.  It may still take time, but thanks to our modern world, this information is always quick to come by.  To further discuss how technology has become more integrated into our lives, I recommend checking out the article Tapping Technology to Advance the Future of Journalism by Sam Dolnick, as I feel this can give us a window into how we ourselves use it.  For my next post, I will discussing how the integration of social media has affected how we retrieve information, both for news gathering, and for the news itself.

References

Hoyt, E. (2015). Exhibitors, Technology, and Industrial Journalism in The 1910s and 1920s. Velvet Light Trap, 76. 49-53.

Image Source [Motion Picture Handbook for Managers and Operators (Third Edition) by F.H. Richardson] Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/PICTURE-HANDBOOK-Managers-Operators-Theatres/dp/B002N4GEO2