Future of Journalism - The Way Forward

Journalism in emerging markets have a unique opportunity to reinvent its traditional model, re-identify challenges, and manifest its achievements in form of knowledge in the public interest at the policy as well as at the grass-root (individual/community) level.

 

 

 

 

The Boston Globe and the MIT’s Center for Civic Media acquired a grant worth $250,000 dollars from the Knight Foundation, in order to build tools for newsgathering and reader engagement. This is one of the prime examples how new journalism trends will emerge from environments of mutual collaborations.

 

 

 

 

The industry, at least in Pakistan would need to go back to the Academicians, establish linkages that are very so often discussed but not processed into tangible results. In other words, and very right put by the Secretary of State’s Advisor on Innovation, Alec J Ross ” Innovation comes from taking risks, accepting failures” reason why we see venture capitalists thriving so much in the US investing in start-ups.

 

 

 

 

The dynamics of the thought processes with the future generations to come will not be determined by shady propagandist tactics used by special interest groups that encourage fear-mongering that teased the less-informed segments of the society.

 

 

 

 

As the society is becoming increasingly informed; the ability to navigate through large amounts data by rationalizing with objective narratives will determine the credibility of the journalists. The industry-academics will need to ensure that the concept of journalism in the public interest is not lost in implied tactics of the external factors acting as the influencing force that challenges the credibility and the authenticity of the profession. One methodology of evaluation can be based on the following indices:

 

 

 

 

1) Content reflecting diversity.

 

 

 

 

Reports that highlight the issue and content that reflects an unbiased viewpoint.

Article that are thoroughly researched and well written and are edited by a professional news outlet.

Articles that mention people with contrasting viewpoints.

2) Content should serve the need of all groups in the society: public, private and community based.

 

 

 

 

Identify stakeholders: government, security establishment, political parties/groups, minorities, religious groups, cultural groups

Understand the history and be familiar with coverage of diverse groups in society. Usefulness of the news information for the public at large

Accessibility of the content

3) Content displays culture of self regulation.

 

 

 

 

Applied ethical guidelines and practices that govern the profession and the legal implications and considerations that inform the profession

Including information about sources, accuracy estimates, possibilities of bias and voluntary retractions

4) Communicating with fairness and impartiality.

 

 

 

 

Articles that demonstrate the ability to apply tools, concepts and technology appropriate for the presentation of images and information on diversity

Minimum 2 or more contrasting views in the story. Use of neutral (unemotional) vocabulary

5) Content displays high-level of trust and confidence with the civil society organization/academia.

 

 

 

 

Credibility can be measured by the number of readers or subscribers of the professional news outlet

6) The content should also reflect the linguistic diversity of the targeted issues.

 

 

 

 

Credit reports that discuss regional (and not national issues) in less commonly spoken languages and that interact with minorities in their local languages

The report includes interviews and/or information from linguistically diverse segments of society

7) The content should represent the views of the entire political spectrum and the wide spectrum of the social interests including the weakest segments of the society.

 

 

 

 

Is there a political bias or not?

Choice of a topic (or topics) that highlight a minority (or underrepresented) group. Major piece on a minor political group

Although this methodology is/could potentially be debatable, open constructive critique, yet it covers variety of elements that informed material, in whichever form that may be, can be evaluated and assessed over its quality. The amalgamation of the framework and the assessment of creating quality content ensures the credibility of the content-originator/journalists.

 

 

 

 

In times where it may seem that the journalism in public good no longer matters, it only reinforces the behavior which will give a lot more levy to the bulging youth populations in the emerging economies to explore and innovate new wheels of the game threatening the monstrous infrastructure.

Done