Mass Media - the news in the new media age

News market now very competitve, and globalisation means there are a mass of news providers from across the globe to choose from. New technology means news is instantly available practically anywhere in the world twenty - four hours a day. The mainstream news media can no longer rely on the attention of audiences as people are now tweeting, texting and surfing the web for news that interests them.

Competing to survive in a global market

• it is crucial for media companies to be right up to date and to tailor their media offering and the way news is presented to their market, if auidences and readers are to be attracted and retained
• eg short, simple, snappy news reports using the latest gadgetry for more youthful audiences or celebrity gossip type human interest news stories for mass consumption

Citizen journalism

• new media technology has at the same time transformed the news business by creating greater opportunities for citizen journalism
• new media like videos shot on mobile phone and uploaded to YouTube mean ordinary folk rather than professional journalists and media companies are more involved in directly collecting, reporting and spreading news stories and information with minimal costs.

the rise of citizen journalism can help to overcome or bypass the suppression of stories, or biases or inadequate news reports in the established media:

Philo and Berry - GUMG research into Israel/Palestine

• many British TV reports on the Palestinians were over reliant on official Israeli perspectives with Israeli provocations and assassinations being routinely ignored by the media while counter strikes by Palestinian militants were wildly reported.

Ashuri - Citizen Journalism overcomes bias

• in a study of Machsom Watch a womens organisation whose members monitor the human rights of Palestinians at check points set up by the Israeli defence foirces. Ashuri showed how the members of the group were able to offer an alternative view to the official one of some events at check points by posting their own reports, videos and photos on the webste.

Bivens suggests citizen journalists through mobile phone picture and video recording at the scene of the news events, publishing original news reports and commentary via publicly accessible…