The Editors Weblog

It seems fitting to review The Editors Weblog as my last post for the unit because of its enthusiasm for technology and convergence. Some of the issues that were discussed when I visited the website on 11th October 2008 included newsroom changes, the future model of newspaper journalism and internet advertising.

Just like other blog websites, blog entries can be searched by category. This was helpful in my own investigation because I was able to quickly navigate to the multimedia section.

What instantly caught my eye was the post titled: "Digital media must be at the centre of newspaper publishing". As the title suggests, the post argues that the digital media must be integrated into the business model of news organisations to ensure future survival. According to Sly Bailey, the CEO of Trinity Mirror, putting digital media at the forefront of business is the only way to survive the current economic downturn.

I feel that this has been the continuing message in all of the materials that I have viewed this semester (including the readings, websites and videos).

So what does the future hold for journalism? I think it is inevitable that newspapers, radio and television will move online but what about beyond that? I came across a really interesting and amusing video on Youtube that forms its own predictions on what the future holds for the media. Obviously, it is purely speculative but I am looking forward to reviewing it in a few years (on a very high speed device in my flying car?) to see just how accurate it is.

Global Voices

Global Voices is a website that networks some of the best blog posts from around the world.

Entries can be searched by country, topic or contributor and the content can be read in over 15 languages.

True to the theme of multimedia journalism, Global Voices also supports entries with photos, videos and podcasts.

I decided to answer the website’s slogan, ‘The world is talking. Are you listening?’ and I came across the post Sudan:YouTube Blocked. After following a chain of links I discovered that the blog post was written by “Drima”, a Sudanese-born university student who has a passion for media and politics. He also maintains a political blog The Sudanese Thinker.

The blog post touches on a number of issues including government censorship, cyber-activism and freedom of speech. According to some Sudanese residents, the video sharing website YouTube has been blocked by the National Telecommunication Corporation because it has become a key tool for political activism. There is also some concern within government ranks that the website’s content is inappropriate.

This reminded me of a similar issue in China where the government blocked international news websites and YouTube to censor violence in Tibet.

The internet is a valued source of communication and cutting off its access can stifle the knowledge, awareness and education of citizens. A logical effect of convergence is that this will be amplified as traditional media sources are reduced.