Sibongile Mpofu (Zimbabwe)
Digital revolution must be embraced totally if journalists
and news media are to remain relevant to readers, said Richard Gingras, head of
news and social products at Google.
Digital revolution presents the opportunities, particularly
for Africa, to catapult into the future with new confidence. While governments
have tried and continuously censor the free flow of information, digital
revolution, particularly the mobile phone in Zimbabwe, would enable the continent
connects with, and interacts with its publics.
Journalists need to be aware of how to take advantage of
social media platforms to engage in journalism that is of relevance to their
communities.
Social media provides the basis for investigative stories
that journalists should do, but traditional media very often has not utilized
this opportunity. Journalists, especially in Zimbabwe have not utilized the
trusted crowd concept to investigate issues raised through social networks.
Journalists still prefer to set the public agenda from its own point of view,
as opposed to that of the public. This disconnects people in the process.
According to Gingras, investigative issues are not covered
yet they always come from the fringes. Investigative journalism is triumphant
where journalists have the ability to detect conversations amongst the crowd.
“Any news outlet that does not take advantage of the crowd
is missing the story,” said Gingras.
He said Google Plus always analyze on a daily basis what is
going on in social networks, and how best the organization can connect people
on thee social platforms.
As the digital revolution sweeps across the globe, it
provides a narrative of new readers, new platforms and new revenue streams for
media organizations.
One African businessman, Trevor Ncube once noted that
African journalists must not be naïve about the difficulties of bridging the
gulf between a promising future of digital revolution and a difficult present.
He said new media holds the potential for Africa, only if
media houses and journalists choose to be part of the revolution.
Journalism has shifted power to audience and Tom Rosenstiel
puts it aptly: ‘Media has to adjust their behavior to the needs of citizens
more, now than ever before.’
This certainly resonates with what Gingras said in his
discussion with 2013 SUSI scholars at Google headquarters in Silicon Valley.
The future of news and media lies in embracing the digital
revolution and media organizations now have to re align their business models
in the world of social media.
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