From TV to Twitter: How Ambient News Became Ambient Journalism. Alfred Hermida.

In a relatively recent paper written by Alfred Hermida, he discussed how many things have changed in journalism and with the distribution of information. As mentioned in a few of my previous blog posts, there have been many cases when Twitter showed pure power and relevance. 

“Twitter has emerged as a key medium for news and information about major events.” (Hermida, 2010)

Hermida mentions how Twitter has some similarities to other forms of communication, such as the telephone and instant messaging.

Similarity with the telephone = real-time exchange of information

Similarities to instant messaging = information sent in short and instant bursts with a conversational tone

However there are a few differences:

1. Twitter provides messages which are largely public
2. Every message is archived
3. Every message can be easily searched and retrieved

All these points have a achieved a media outlet that provides the public with a form of awareness system.

A more obvious change in journalism is the role of the audience. With the uprise of User-Generated Content, citizens are more able to express their opinions and views with the immediate result of reaction.

“Audiences have, traditionally, been kept well outside the journalistic process, defined as the “selecting, writing, editing, positioning, scheduling, repeating and otherwise massaging” (Shoemaker et al. 73). This audience is cast as the receiver, with virtually no sense of agency over the news process.” (Hermida, 2010)

Nowadays, everyone seems to want to be a ‘news participator’ and tell their own stories and contribute with others. Media platforms such as Twitter, allow the public to do this with ease and to also find other stories quickly and efficiently.

With the increase of merging roles in journalism between the creator and receiver of news, there has been a development and change in ambient news. Just as the television trend has moved to twitter the ambient news has changed to ambient journalism. Audiences are able to become part of the news process.

“Twitter becomes part of an ambient media system where users receive a flow of information from both established media and from each other.” (Hermida, 2010)

You can access Alfred Hermida’s article here, for an in-depth look into ambient journalism.