10 things I learned in Online Journalism

1. Twitter is THE place to be

I have this really nice life goal ... to find someone who understands me, someone whom I can easily spend days with without getting bored or irritated ... a person with whom I can have a close relationship of completely open communication ... one day I aspire to have with someone what Susan Hetherington has with Twitter.

This semester made it pretty clear why Susan loves Twitter so impossibly much, its effectiveness in crowd sourcing, professional networking and story promotion (just to name a few) makes it a partnership no journalist today can afford to scorn.

It’s fascinating in hindsight reflecting on that second week tutorial and the apprehension everyone felt towards Twitter and blogging sites. You might even be able to draw similarities between the Online Journalism students and their acceptance of these technologies with the wider journalism profession itself – one that had to learn to put their distrust aside and take up these technologies to remain relevant and effective.

2. Crowd Sourcing – It's not just being too lazy to do actual research – it’s a thing now

I remember trying to decide whether to do this for news stories – is it a cheap way to get sources? Is it cheating?

But that’s the great thing about this new online world – instead of being just the consumers they are now helping to shape the news and ensuring it's told effectively and accurately.

Tools like (and more platforms to seize this opportunity arise every day) Twitter, Facebook and blogs are becoming incredibly valuable in making these connections and allowing journalists to achieve and report things they would have had no means to just a 20 years ago.

3. Blogging matters

It's not just a way to express my inner torment and impress the ladies with my deep thoughts anymore, (or so I imagine it would have had I had a blog prior to online journalism) now it’s a career investment.

The idea of building your “online persona” and gathering followers and fans via creative, thought provoking (in some cases not so much) blogs was one main point I’ll take away from this unit. While I did originally think this was just more work to do, it's now clear this attitude can be altered – this can be seen as an opportunity, to show prospective employers the quality of your writing as well as your potential to gain a great number of consumers. Not things easy to prove in a face-to-face sit down interview or within the formal constraints of the cover letter/CV.

4. The “online experience” involves more than just word on a web page

You start to notice the “online elements” in news stories – the links to related stories, transcripts, videos etc. – these aren’t just little extra goodies anymore either, it seems now that consumers expect this higher level of storytelling…which optimistically can only be good for journalistic quality and ensuring an informed society.

5. The waves of change must be ridden or one is swept away (one last surfing metaphor)

This was the main resounding message of this unit. We live in a world that continues to develop and change – Fads come and go and technologies are introduced into the public arena every day. As Elaine Ford said the skill is not in being techno savvy (Which came as a relief considering I cant work a microwave) but instead in being able to identify the technologies and fads that are there to stay.

The beautiful thing about the journalism profession is that despite being subjected to the constant proclamations of its death and criticism of its accuracy and effectiveness It never folds and history has shown us that journalists have always plunged right into change – sometimes even leading the charge.

6. Speed and accuracy is the key (to my early death at the hands of stress)

If I was asked about what makes Online Journalism different to any of the news-writing subjects speed and accuracy is what I would say. These skills are where, in my opinion, the online news journalist should be recognised.

The expectations of immediacy and accuracy that comes hand-in-hand with the public's hungry consumption of online news means these journalists need to develop a speed that, as this unit (and the numerous Elaine Ford pen art all over all my assessment) made hurtfully clear, is not an easy skill to have.

7. Code values are needed more than ever - Privacy still matters – just because I can Google maps into your living room…doesn’t mean I should…

Facebook, Twitter and Google maps all provide incredibly east ways to circumvent the death knock or take the morally questionable pictures. But just because it's easier for us doesn’t mean our duties and ethical standards to respect the privacy of the public are also loosened.

With the great advantages of the internet comes further responsibility in using it ethically and accurately.

8. Online Journalism has changed the way we read the news – (how many sneaky swear words can I slip in now?)

One of the more bizarrely accurate and interesting things this course pointed out is that the way people actually read the news has changed with the platform itself. People aren’t reading every word – which makes having the amazing lead and useful headings even more important.

9. A weekly blog and tutorial exercises does not equate to “a 7 easier to get than an episode of Sesame Street.”

After finishing the first in-class assessment I went home and after weeping to sweet sweet opera in a long cold shower and a solid 20 minutes of rocking in the fetal position, researched “near-death” experiences – unsurprisingly the descriptions of said experiences were consistent with the small moment of clarity and peace that enveloped me after Elaine demanded the final submission (following the horror and panic in the preceding hour).

Yes…yes we did think this unit would be a less challenging than usual one – especially with the blogs – gosh were we wrong.

While having to write a blog every week was time consuming and scrambling to find a new fresh topic hard I definitely feel, especially after reading my first blog that the assessment was helpful in improving my writing particularly in this informal style…I even came to enjoy it (this isn’t encouragement to put weekly blogging into the next units however).

While we did spend an alarming amount of time bitching about how different each assessment was – that was the beauty of the unit – the ability to adopt to new styles…I also finally learned how to spell Morcombe properly.

So while the childhood dream of achieving that perfect 7 is very likely dead (prove me wrong and make me the happiest man in the world?) I begrudgingly acknowledge that learning how to write in so many new styles and forms made the disappointment to my family and friends almost worth it.

*Cue “QUT: university for the real world” advertisement. *

10. The online apprehension is over – Integrated newsrooms makes journalism a team sport.

Journalism isn’t west side story…when I do eventually get in there the TV editor will not be aggressively clicking at the Online editor…(no words can describe the hurt and disappointment this realisation hit me with).

It does consequently mean that even if you don’t end up going into online journalism your going to need the skills anyway. Churning out the news is again a collaborative effort.

The "objectively" amazing journalism profession

You often hear the word “objectivity” being thrown around in the company of “ethics” and “quality” – especially in the context of describing or criticising the journalism profession.

Objectivity is expressly mentioned in the media alliance code of ethics…the journalism professions equivalent of the 10 commandments – similarly written by ancient bearded men in robes on a hill (or so I have convinced myself so as to stay interested in it). The code states, (read in booming god-like voice)

“4. Do not allow personal interest, or any belief, commitment, payment, gift or benefit, to undermine your accuracy, fairness or independence.”

The notion of objectivity in journalism involves upholding a standard of reporting that omits all personal/political motivations or beliefs of the author in lieu of a balanced and fair product. The rationale behind this idea is that it allows the consumer to make their own decision after considering the facts presented to them by the impartial journalist.

The idea of objectivity was safeguarded in traditional platforms of journalism through careful writing and editing of stories to ensure bias or underlying subjectivity didn’t exist, a process that’s effectiveness was often debated.

In some cases, especially in recent years, many accused news companies of compromising this objective standard and shaping content to pander to the commercial and political interests of those funding their companies.

Therein lies one of the more prominent of the pro-online supporters arguments as to why news consumption moving online proves to be only positive in the higher purpose of informing the public, that is, that the online world leaves journalists unshackled of commercial interests to report the news as they see it.

While I would agree that the internet has led to a burst of new refreshing opinions and greater opportunities to share fresh perspectives and angles to stories (even though main news companies still obviously do screen their content) it's important that journalists also stay aware of the dangers of these new platforms.

As a great number of sportsman and celebrities have been generous enough to show us (tip of the hat to you Stephanie Rice) with the great freedom of the internet, especially social networking sites, comes a great deal of responsibility and accountability.

Incriminating photos from Saturday night aside, the rise of these online platforms demands that journalists and news companies quickly decide policy for online use to deal with the intermixing of personal and professional life and the potential damage to the company.

Traditionally a writer would finish his column and be home to live his private life, but where a journalists has a Facebook there is the potential for a greater degree of public access to this life outside the newsroom. So when does the expectations of objectivity end and a journalists private life begin? Should a journalists have to conform to company policy about the uses of social networking sites even outside work hours in their personal accounts? Have to censor any potentially controversial content on their own personal blogs in fear that it might impact on their employers and consequently their job stability?

If Andrew Bolt and his recent court drama taught us anything it’s that content in blogs and opinion columns do have the potential to do serious damage both to the community and to the company in which the writer belongs. On that basis I’d suggest that even on private blogs and Facebook/Twitter posts journalists should refrain from posting inflammatory or overly controversial opinions. But on the other hand I don’t think it's fair of news corporations or of the public to expect that a journalist remains completely objective 100% of the time. A sports journalists liking a particular sports team on his personal Facebook doesn’t necessarily mean a bias exists in his writing. The reality is that journalists are human and have opinions (arguable more opinions than most), in some cases political and religious beliefs just like anyone else and becoming a journalist doesn’t mean one loses this right.

An interesting issue I came across during my readings about a journalist’s use of Facebook and Twitter was where journalists and the organisations they worked for were being criticised for who they followed or the opinions they expressed on these pages. This issue probably wasn’t helped by the fact that too follow and receive the updates of a person, for example to get a incriminating quote from Bob Katter you had to “like” or “friend” him first – which gave the impression (to some) that the journalists objectivity was being compromised (when in reality they just needed to do this to get the quotes). The same problem was manifested on Twitter where journalists were forced to explain that re-tweeting something didn’t necessarily mean endorsement of its subject matter.

The thing that these haters need to remember (aside from that their families need them to stop neglecting them to write angry snippy letters to journalists) is that even where it is on their personal profiles outside of work Journalists are humans and while they should be expected to put their opinions and bias aside when writing stories it doesn’t mean they should be encapsulated at all times by a cone of perpetual objectivity ... that would make for far less exciting BBQ’s.