One-Way Communication Vs. Two-Way Communication
From being the “Voice of God” to being able to talk to the “God”
“The interactions we have with the audience now are so different from when I began in the business in 2006. You’re always continuing the conversation online.”, states Halie Jackson in Mobile and Social Media Journalism; A Practical Guide.
Halie described the current relationship of a Journalist and their audience as a “conversation” because of our ability to connect and share information with each other so quickly, you can post a live video and receive a reply within a minute.
I believe that a conversation is indeed what you would call the relationship between a journalist and their audience in 2020. Maybe it’s the millennial in me, but a conversation is exactly what Journalism should be because in the end the information and news are provided solely for the people, so it makes complete sense for them to be able to give their feedback as soon as it’s out.
Mobile and social media has completely changed the way Journalist and audiences interact, it opened up an entirely uncharted world for journalist and their audiences (pg. 19 Mobile and Social Media Journalism; A Practical Guide.), there is no longer a limit to the way we can communicate through the internet.
The interaction between a Journalist and their audience turned from being what one would call a “One-way” communication to a “Two-way” communication, the norm used to be that a Journalist would share information through television or print media therefore feedback from audience would be a lot slower and sometimes just out of the way for a person. You literally had to call the newsroom or email them, and let’s be honest nobody has time for that kind of stuff (nor wants to do it). Anthony Adornato describes the one-way communication in Mobile and Social Media Journalism, as a “voice of God” because you just receive the information from one entity to a mass audience without being able to have an actual back and forth conversation.
I would definitely go as far as saying that in the present day we have the ideal relationship between audience and Journalists’. News is now accessible to anyone with a mobile device and as a result this creates an active and interactive audience. Audiences can now create content as well as message Journalist directly thus giving them an immediate response. We can now snap a photo or start a live video of a protest or any important event without having to wait for the process of posting an article or showing it on the news. Everything is on the go, and this serves both the people and Journalist in positive way.
As well as being able to share information quickly, this kind of informal interaction can build trust and make stories so much stronger. Audiences can now relate to Journalist on a more personal level, you are even able to share your own personal experiences/stories with them and we all love someone that you can actually relate to.
It makes the whole experience and interaction a lot more intimate, and I truly believe that this elevates the interconnection between Journalists’ and their audience.
It has gone from a “one way” dull communication to more so of a bond between both where they can conversate and share thoughts with each other therefore altering the way a story is told and the impact it can have on the world.
Citation:
Adornato, Anthony. Mobile And Social Media Journalism. CQ Press, 2017.