In the internet information age, companies know spending habits and preferences of consumers. They know details about consumers based on what information they access on the internet, what charges they put on their card and so on. So the creative director, Paul  Kurjeza, has come up with the idea of personalising news, tailoring content to the subscriber.

However, I’m not sure how the average customer would feel about this. If its done without their consent it will probably succeed in sedtting off alarm bells about their protection of privacy on the internet. I think the only way this will work is if the consumer signs up to the service for themselves, and willingly provides the information.

Publish2

This new service shows the huge change that is being undertook in the world of journalists in the new online era. No more are the breaking stories guarded under lock and key by rival news organisations; instead now being shared openly. Perhaps this is a sign of the new collaboration as everyone joins together to protect online news in the face of the current downturn.

It may also be a sign that news moguls are giving up on the idea of being the first to break a story in this new instant information age.

The Huffington Post

The site is very dependent on multimedia and interactive for all its users and also allows for people to send in their own stories. In another recent development which just proves again how up to date this newspaper is with the online world, is the news that it has also launched a Twitter account.

While many newspapers are struggling to keep profits up in the online environment where everything seems to come for free, the Huffington Post still manages to make millions in the online buiness.

Indymedia may be seen by some as a negative website, with many describing it as too radical. However, it is providing the public with hyper-local news. It gives the public the opportunity to get stories into the public sphere that the newspapers and the broadcasters miss. The range of news that reaches the public should not be the choice of the media organisations, but rather the choice of the people, and Indymedia allows for this.

Indymedia

This video is Indymedia’s celebration of their 300th show. It gives a good insight into what the organisation bases itself on.

The Guardian

This was a clear case of how transparency is affecting the future of journalism. The general media got the story of Tomlinson completely wrong, following on reports that came from mthe police.

The fact that it was a citizen journalist who uncovered the story and it was via the internet that the truth surfaced provides even more complications for the established media. People already feel distrustful of the media so far, which could mean they are driven further to use alternative forms of news, providing anothe blow for the already ailing media industry.

Citizen journalists have no obligation to be objective or impartial, which could mean that political reporting could become more biased and hostile to the opposing parties. Online journalism also provides more efficient, up-to-date coverage of elections like these and developing political stories. The interactivity on news sites can also provide politicians themselves with a more in depth look on the feeling among the voters about different issues and topics.

However there are dangers, as always, with the internet of anonymous smear campaigns and biased reporting and coverage, as is possible with with every media outlet.

Usually, they are restricted from reporting about victims in cases, young children or controversial topics that do not make the news. However, the internet has made every story available to the public, regardless of any legal restrictions, ethical dilemmas or morals involved in the reporting of the story. As I wrote before, this is easily seen in the new medium of  ‘Online TV’ and gossip blogs.

This new problem with privacy could well be another reason to introduce more regulation on what content is posted on the internet and what freedom citizen journalists and bloggers have behind the anonymity of the internet.

In the increasingly undefined lines between professional and citizen, is there a need for some form of code or restriction on citizen journalism? Jonathon Crossfield discusses this further, arguing that it is time for citizen journalism to make the next step: regulation.

This has many possibilites for online journalism. It means news stories can break as they happen. This was seen during the Hudson Bay plane landing and the North Korea rocket launch.

Twitter came to the public view during the Obama campaign where millions used the website to report on the campaign and upload pictures of the rallies. Given that it is up to date with the latest technology, it means it can attract the new breed of multimedia journalism.

Breaking Tweets mean people who are on the scene of the news can report it from the scene instantly, giving the reader a personalised view of what is happening. It also has many benefits for citizen journalism as they have their own medium to break news on, without having to go the the established news stations.

However many are saying the biggest advantage of ‘Breaking Tweets’ is the fact that its getting people talking about news online. Giving the audience that Twitter reaches, it means it is reaching a larger audience than many online news sites would.

Breaking Tweets

In recent years a spate of questionable videos have been posted to the internet. They are sensational to say the least, but also an invasion of people’s privacy and in clear danger of being libelous. On the News of the World TV , they show a video of ‘facebook drug dealer’ Jed Watts, clearly identifying him and painting a picture of him as a serious drug lord of sorts. They do this through use of graphics and music (ie use of red, white and black colours and sinister music in the background). Then there is also the case of how much footage is too much? They show videos of the reality TV star Jade Goody while clearly sick and losing her hair and footage of a woman being mauled by a polar bear. It is difficult to see how such reporting could be deemed good journalism.

Because there is so little regulation on this new ‘news tv’, broadcasters are getting away with showing whatever they like on this new medium. Ofcom is supposed to regulate television to ensure the public is ‘protected in areas such as taste, decency, fairness and privacy’. These new online tv’s are in clear breach of this but are beyond the control of the regulatory body.

This is by far one of the biggest debates about the internet in relation to online journalism as it allows people to access whatever they want at whatever time. The blame then lies on the people who are providing such videos however without a functioning regulatory body for the online press, it seems things are only going to get worse before a solution is provided.

Jed Watts

News of the World