Deck 13: Writing and Reporting in the New New Media

Question 1

Twitter has become a medium of news communication. What are the advantages and drawbacks to that development?

Answer 1

The major advantage is the ability to reach thousands of people as an event occurs or shortly thereafter In many respects, Twitter is simply a new form of the genre ,of wire service reporting, with ,quick burst,s, of information The drawback seems to be that it further limits the depth of news reporting and, if the traditional media are ignored and it's the only source of information, it can be argued ,Twitter, contributes to an increased superficiality of news and information.

Question 2

The new communication technologies "are changing the way we live, work, access information and content, and relate to one another." How have they impacted your life, particularly in terms of news and information?

Answer 2

Designed as an icebreaker question with no "right" answer, the responses should be interesting Is there a greater awareness of the wider world due to this technology, or is this generation withdrawing into informational isolation, following a pattern made possible by earlier communications technologies,?

Question 3

Technology has always altered our patterns of communication." Explain how.

Answer 3

Due to increased stages of efficiency and speed, news and information has increasingly traveled faster and faster By their nature, radio, television, the Internet, and the new social media have fostered increased interactivity with audience members Whether we know more than in the past, of course, may be debated.

Question 4

A related question: Readers have the power to customize their electronic "newspapers," selecting stories or information of interest to them alone. Is this good? Bad? Your thoughts.

Question 5

In many respects, online print journalistic writing differs little from newspaper writing. Online news writing is regular news writing, only more so.

Question 6

The online writer has to "write tight" in order to keep the story as brief as possible.

Question 7

One difference in online news writing is that the inverted pyramid has generally been abandoned because once the online reader clicks onto a story, they read in entirety, making the traditional story format unnecessary.

Question 8

Given the fascination people have with online "newspapers," reporters don't have to worry about using visual gimmicks such as boldface, color or bullets in the text.

Question 9

Writing for a Web page calls for a hybrid mix of print and broadcast writing skills and presentation. Thus, the Web story has to be planned in advance, with related sidebars or links with graphics, pictures, transcripts, or other supporting data.

Question 10

One advantage of writing for online is that there is less emphasis on correct punctuation and grammar. With the writing rules being bent for e-mail or Twitter, readers are used to informal language usage; they focus on the content and ignore "mistakes."

Question 11

Major ongoing stories have to be updated every few minutes because Web readers now expect news on demand, as it happens, with constant updates. If it isn't fresh, they'll go somewhere else.

Question 12

One real advantage of working online with the Internet as a resource is that a reporter doesn't have to do the research required even a few years ago. Now one can surf the Web, download some facts, figures and quotes without attribution and the story virtually writes itself.

Question 13

Successful newspaper reporters, broadcast journalists, and public relations practitioners needed to have outstanding writing ability. Now that skill is not enough. What else is necessary?

Question 14

How does blog writing differ from traditional journalistic reporting styles?

Question 15

What are some tips for good blog writing?

Question 16

Public relations writers use blogs to be reporter, editor and publisher, thereby bypassing traditional media gatekeepers in order to post information directly to readers. Is there a disadvantage to being able to do so?

Question 17

How do news organizations use Twitter?

Question 18

What are some guidelines for writing for Twitter?

Question 19

Why is Facebook an effective tool for journalists?

Question 20

Some rules for writing for the social media?

Question 21

YouTube has featured funny videos and political gaffes, but as a medium of news and information, it has failed to reach its potential.

Question 22

The text lists a number of other new media services and applications. List some new ones that have come out since this was written, and explain how you use them or others.

Question 23

The new technologies "present an opportunity for an interactive relationship with audiences to enlighten and inform in ways in which traditional media could never achieve." But is there a down side to all this technology? Explain.

Question 24

Increasingly user-friendly software means that people easily and inexpensively can create their own blogs, Websites and YouTube postings. Essentially, this means anyone can become a publisher or broadcaster, bypassing the checks provided by traditional gatekeepers. A good idea, or not? Explain your answer.

Question 25

"Ironically, the twenty-first century could be the one with the greatest potential for communication but with a majority of the population uninformed about basic information essential to their well-being." Why? And what can be done, if anything?