The Internet and its role in mass media
Mainstream media appeals to very large audiences - like national newspapers or television shows. But with today's technology, everyday people can use the Internet to create the news ourselves, and to change the way the world looks at the news.
Blogs
Blog stands for "web log". These blogs are basically websites where
you put up a collection of posts. You can share it
with the rest of the Internet world. Your posts can be
professionally related, as well relating to your personal
interests.
In the past, news was selected by a small group of publishers.
Today, there are millions of sources for news which combine both
professional and personal news. You can share your
thoughts, ideas and opinions with other people on
the Internet called "blogs".
You can create discussions through the comments readers place on your blog. Blogs reflect your unique perspective and help build relationships with others who have similar interests with you. This is a great community of social and professional networking.
Can I
blog?
Most definitely. If you have an idea and the ability to share it
with others, then you can blog.
How to
start reading/creating blogs
There are over 70 million blogs. They give
everyday people the ability to choose what news interest them, and
relay them to others. You can search for blogs using Google Blog Search or Technorati. You can also create your
own blog using websites such as Blogger or WordPress. These are really, really
awesome resources to use.
Many mainstream journalists, celebrities and professional use blogs
to gain an online presence and further their role in the media.
Blogs have had a huge impact on politics, entertainment and the
sharing of opinions and ideas.
How
blogging affects the mass media
You're probably wondering how simple blogging can affect news all
around the world. Many bloggers are involved in
citizen or participatory
journalism. This means they play an active role in
collecting news and information - then analyzing and commenting on
it. The Internet and its use of blogging is a great way to getting
your voice heard directly to the public.
Many bloggers, particularly those engaged in participatory
journalism, differentiate themselves from the mainstream media,
while others are members of that media working through a different
channel. Some institutions see blogging as a means of "getting
around the filter" and pushing messages directly to the public.
Time
magazine named their 2006 Person of the Year as "You" - referring
to bloggers and other user generated content. You control the
Information Age.
Podcasts
Podcasts are audio or video files which you can download. They're
usually free. "Podcast" is a combination of the words "i-Pod" and
"broadcast". If you subscribe to a podcast, it will download
automatically when new content is added.
In other words, it's basically like the Internet's version of a TV
or radio show. Many television networks have podcasts where you can
watch or listen to news updates.
What can
I listen to/watch on a podcast?
You can catch up on current events from major news channels and
shows, such as CNN's Anderson Cooper
360° Daily show. You can learn new languages through lessons.
You can find podcasts which introduce you to new types of music and
musicians. Whatever topic you can think of - chances are, there's a
podcast about it. You will find well-known radio and television
shows as well as independent ones.
RSS
Feeds
You'll find this tiny little orange button on many
Internet blogs and news-oriented sites. Basically, if you click on
it, it means you're subscribing to the updates for the website. You
will be able to keep up with your favourite websites every time a
new post or article is added.
Check out this cool video below explaining RSS feeds.
A final note
The Internet allows for an enormous flow of ideas. Be careful of what you read out there and be a real journalist - sniff out the facts and search for all sides of the story - look at a range of facts, ideas and opinions. Be careful of blogs which can be extremely one-sided. But most of all, enjoy yourself. The Internet's a place where you, the user, are the most important person.
Post Comments