The Interface between Technology and Media

By Emilia Bundo

The advent of the new millennium saw new forms and tools of information dissemination being embraced as media practitioners across the globe compete to satisfy the news and current affairs appetite of their audiences.

Internet-based applications as well as mobile phones are often a time used to inform, entertain, educate and quell down the society as part of enhancing service delivery.

The most common in use are social booking, internet forums, videos on You tube and photographs on Twitter.

Despite the interface between media and technology for real time service delivery, journalists are facing the challenge of keep abreast with technological advancements as most of them from third world countries lack the know how and in some countries they face impromptu incrassation as they try to be the watchdog of the society by exposing certain anti-democratic vices that need uprooting.

Through the use of the social media, warnings and forecasts can reach the intended information users on time and allow them to take the necessary precautionary measures on time given the background that not all people tune in to the radio or watch television in search of weather forecasts.

Social media can also help link up journalists with their resource persons and create a platform for networking as they view each others professional profiles which in the end can create mutual trust between the two parties.

It can also be used to effectively monitor and evaluate each others works as people exchange ideas and notes about story writing.

However, social media can not be trusted for reasons such as objective reporting as you base your facts on contributions.