For decades, legacy media were considered the most trustworthy source of information for most of society. If the newspaper said it, it had to be true. But where is this trust headed, and what does the digitisation of news have to do with it? Joreke Kleynhans from media update finds out.
When news media started to digitise, it didn’t just start publishing stories online. Other key elements and role players in the newsroom were also replaced or adapted.
The entire journalistic process evolved, bringing a variety of benefits, challenges and new tactics with it.
A Shorter News Cycle
Traditionally, newspapers used to work according to a strict 24-hour news cycle. News stories would be gathered, written and edited throughout the day, making up a single edition of a daily newspaper, available every morning.
This 24-hour cycle, although short, provided structure in the newsroom. Sure, things were fast-paced, but this cycle made room for thorough reporting and editing.
Today, most online news publications have a constant stream of stories being published around the clock. There is no hard deadline for the newspaper to be sent to the printing press by, and articles can be edited ad infinitum.
Despite the benefits of immediate news dissemination and less paper waste, the shorter news cycle lets an unhealthy amount of newsroom urgency thrive, often at the expense of accuracy and quality.
In the print era, every publication's stories hit the newsstands at the same time, which levelled the playing field a bit between competing publications. In contrast to that clear timeframe, digital news has created a race to publish first and taken away publications' ability to know how far ahead or behind they are.
Subsequently, digital news outlets often overlook the basics of a high-quality story in favour of speed. Publishing vague, surface-level articles is more common today than it should be.
The Cost of Being "First"
Trying to be the first to break a news story is not only no longer realistic for the legacy media but also comes at a significant cost.
First, digital news publications need to realise an uncomfortable truth: they will never be first again. The rise of social media has made it almost impossible for such publications to be the first to know and share a newsworthy event. In fact, social media is so often journalists' primary informant.
Users of platforms like X and TikTok are able to report on events as they unfold. The social media reporter has two steps to take: shoot and send. Even if a legacy media outlet sends a journalist to report in the field, that journalist has a far longer process to follow than the social media journalist.
Therefore, by constantly chasing first place, traditional media outlets are getting the worst of both worlds. Not only will they never be first again, but they are also leaving behind the one thing that set them apart from social media journalism at the start: their authority in the news space.
When they leave their authority behind in their chase of speed, the public’s trust in them also stays behind.
How Legacy Media Can Reclaim Their Position
Despite the challenges legacy media face in the wake of digitisation, these outlets still possess unique strengths that can ensure their future in reporting.
For example, traditional media outlets are more likely to be included in official events like press conferences or exclusive interviews with public figures and politicians than independent creators. Not to mention the relationships and collective connections held by a newsroom of trusted journalists.
Instead of competing in a race that can't be won, legacy media outlets should put their weight behind things like in-depth reporting and analysis, providing context to the public and delivering verified information.
Misinformation in the news is at an all-time high in South Africa, and the public's trust in news is consistently low. In other words, sacrificing accuracy for speed will not increase future success for news outlets.
Digital news publications should let go of the "first to publish" mindset because a future in journalism does not come from being the quickest reporter but rather from being the most reliable.
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*Image courtesy of Canva