New social media not true journalism, says don
Published: Jul 20, 2011 11:29 AM | Updated: Jul 20, 2011 12:55 PM
New social media such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter are among interesting new age technology in disseminating news and information but should not be considered as true journalism, according to a United States academician.
New social media such as blogs, Facebook and Twitter are among interesting new age technology in disseminating news and information but should not be considered as true journalism, according to a United States academician.
Janet E Steele (right), associate professor of the School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University, said news and information from social media were not hard facts checked and filtered by editors compared to the standard practice by the traditional media.
“True journalism implies a system of verification and must comply to a high professional stardard. Therefore, news reports of journalists must be checked carefully by editors before being published, unlike the new media which does not need any supervision," she told reporters at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur today.
Earlier, she had presented a lecture entitled ‘Justice and Journalism: Islam and Journalistic Values in Malaysia and Indonesia’ at the university’s Media Studies Department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Also present was Dr Mohd Yahya Mohamed Ariffin, UM’s Head of Media Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
About 50 post-graduate students from UM and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) attended the lecture.
Steele, who is fluent in Indonesian, writes a weekly column ‘E-Mail from America’ for Surya Daily in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.
Steele, a familiar figure among Malaysian and Indonesian media, said the traditional media - print and electronic media - were facing various challenges in competing with the new media, which are widely used worldwide.
Nine elements of good journalism
She also said that all media practitioners should adopt the nine universal elements of good journalism.
“The nine good journalism principles consists of obligation to tell the truth, loyalty to its citizens, discipline of verification, maintain an independence of spirit and mind, serve as an independent monitor of power and provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
“Must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant, must keep the news comprehensive and proportional and must be allowed to exercise their personal consciense are also in the journalism principles,” she said.
Steele said Muslim journalists in Malaysia and Indonesia may not be moved by the goal of freedom, but they understood the importance of speaking the truth to those in power and of stopping what is wrong with the words they use.
She added that the modern history of both Malaysia and Indonesia suggested that without independent media, justice was not more possible than either freedom or democracy.
- Bernama
Janet E Steele (right), associate professor of the School of Media and Public Affairs, George Washington University, said news and information from social media were not hard facts checked and filtered by editors compared to the standard practice by the traditional media.“True journalism implies a system of verification and must comply to a high professional stardard. Therefore, news reports of journalists must be checked carefully by editors before being published, unlike the new media which does not need any supervision," she told reporters at Universiti Malaya in Kuala Lumpur today.
Earlier, she had presented a lecture entitled ‘Justice and Journalism: Islam and Journalistic Values in Malaysia and Indonesia’ at the university’s Media Studies Department in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
Also present was Dr Mohd Yahya Mohamed Ariffin, UM’s Head of Media Studies of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.
About 50 post-graduate students from UM and International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) attended the lecture.Steele, who is fluent in Indonesian, writes a weekly column ‘E-Mail from America’ for Surya Daily in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia.
Steele, a familiar figure among Malaysian and Indonesian media, said the traditional media - print and electronic media - were facing various challenges in competing with the new media, which are widely used worldwide.
Nine elements of good journalism
She also said that all media practitioners should adopt the nine universal elements of good journalism.
“The nine good journalism principles consists of obligation to tell the truth, loyalty to its citizens, discipline of verification, maintain an independence of spirit and mind, serve as an independent monitor of power and provide a forum for public criticism and compromise.
“Must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant, must keep the news comprehensive and proportional and must be allowed to exercise their personal consciense are also in the journalism principles,” she said.
Steele said Muslim journalists in Malaysia and Indonesia may not be moved by the goal of freedom, but they understood the importance of speaking the truth to those in power and of stopping what is wrong with the words they use.
She added that the modern history of both Malaysia and Indonesia suggested that without independent media, justice was not more possible than either freedom or democracy.
- Bernama
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