New Media, New Journalists?

In the following essay, by using a collection of Facebook and Twitter updates. I will consider how members of the public in South Africa used social networking sites to respond to the events in Hout Bay on 21 September 2010. In conjunction to this, I will consider the activities of reworking, linking and remixing media tell us about new processes of agenda setting and ‘gatewatching’. Lastly I will be exploring, how should we view the role of this ‘networked public’ given South Africa’s unequal distribution of internet access.

One of the first things that I notice about the status updates and tweets is that, information is often reworked into the person’s own words, but validity is often proven by these gatewatchers by referencing/linking the information back to reliable news sources such as Commercial Networks, sometimes references are made to amateurs but even the amateurs when the link path is followed also references commercial networks to substantiate their work. 

Esa Alexander check out slideshow http://multimedia.timeslive.co.za/photos/2010/09/fifteen-metro-cops-injured-in-hout-bay/ multimedia.timeslive.co.za Violence broke out in Hangberg, as angry residents fought back authorities for dismantling their illegal dwellings. Photographer Esa Alexander was there to Fifteen metro cops injured in Hout Bay | Times LIVE Multimedia.

#pigswatters RT @News24: 15 metro cops hurt in Hout Bay http://n24.cm/ccSJRy

The way that news is reworked and redistributed by civilians through social networking platforms, in my opinion changes the way agenda’s are set. Whereas before social networking or social reporting was done on such a grand scale, agenda’s would be set by large media companies and/or governments. This might still be the case but it is much harder to control what the public will accept as the dominant agenda, as it will be discussed,disputed and or reworked by the online social networkers. Which subtracts from the idea that commercial news media has over-all control over the dominant agenda of the country.

There would also not be a wide variety of agendas in circulation, now with the arrival of citizen journalism subscribers are no longer people that you don’t know, they are most probably your friends and family, which makes the relationship between the informant/journalist and audience much more personal and subjective than that with commercial news media and their audience. And by using new media as their platform of information distribution, audiences are now capable of interacting directly to the writer or informer, by commenting on the subject. Which often evolves into a discussion platform, by which anyone on the network has the ability to discuss their personal views on what is happening   (knowledge commons).

Before Social Networked News Reporting, Newspapers were actively selecting what news, was fit for the public interest. Now the public have the opportunity to select what news they would like to know more about. Which moves away from commercial news media, where news is more broadly defined and often based on a general idea of public interest. News broadcast over social networking platforms, by citizens have often been focused on what happens locally and targets niche opinions and or interests within that network.

 Because everyone can participate in the gathering and reporting on news in social networks, it give audiences the opportunity to query about a specific topic and recieve multiple awnsers from different sources, that sometimes correspond with each other, which could be used as method to determine vadility of reports. For example the majority corresponding views can be seen as the most valid news report. The only problem that I find in the tweets and updates by citizens about the hout bay incident are more than often subjective views and not facts “ im glad ppl are protesting in hout bay” 
(Mariapodesta/twitter)

@BiancadaSilva23 What's going on in Hout Bay? 

@Cape_Royale knew Hout Bay was brewing http://bit.ly/beVAGP via 

@News24

@CapeTown there's a lot of violence in the suburb of Hout Bay

’Apartheid-style’ Hout Bay removals slammed: #South Africa Angy #Hangberg residents put up a formidable figh... http://tinyurl.com/2cea54f

As mentioned above the use of social networks to broadcast news by citizens changes the way in which citizens interact with news stories. A reaction to news broadcast on social networks is often public discussion, which in my opinion creates a common room, where all who have access to social media, are able to comment and express their opinions. The common room is a progressive democratic platform, where the public can become highly mobilized and well informed about what is happening in their surrounding areas and beyond. It may be that Social Networking Platforms may mobilize the public, but I have also noted that in certain cases that certain issues are discussed within the online realm and nothing is done outside of the discussion about the problem.

The question arrises, “how should we view the role of this ‘networked public’ given South Africa’s unequal distribution of internet access?”  As South Africa’s internet penetration is still very small and even if infrastructure is set in place, there is also the question whether the public are computer literate enough to use the social networking recourses for citizen journalism. Currently we can view the networked public as a very small minority of the country, who can afford to have internet access, who can read and write, who have the right skills to use computers and use the internet. In ideal circumstances online citizen journalism would be a great democratic forum for information and participation.  Presently it is merely a niche news platform for the educated and middle and upper class minorities of South Africa. 

As the country progresses we might see the day when citizen journalism is seen as a reliable and valid method of news and information sourcing. For now, it is best that they  reference or substantiate their arguments with commercial networks reports and sources, until that day my studies in media will still mean something.

Bibliography

• Facebook Twitter Hout Bay. Pdf , University of Cape Town 2010, Film and Media Department.