9th October, 2015
Seun Bisuga/Nairobi
Blogs, social media and the internet have revolutionised journalism such that pluralism has become the benchmark for news rather than investigative reporting.
Media outfits across the globe tend to compete with bloggers to reach their audience but storytelling in a digital age must not be done in a hurry, CNN/Multichoice 2015 panelists reckon.
Tommy Evans, CNN Vice President of newsgathering believes that more readers use their phones or smartphones to access news be it text, pictures or videos, but cautions, that traditional media houses must be professional in publishing news item.
He believes that the bloggers are no threat, rather they help more people to have access to news across multiple platforms thereby enlightening a larger audience.
Evans noted that CNN gets loads of views from its mobile platform from across the globe, adding that, digital media is the way to go, given the way the technology drives the media.
Other panelists agreed with Evans on this. David Ohito, Digital Editor, the Standard Media Group in Kenya explained that any media house that ignores the mobile platform might be heading for the crash. “Everyone including the radio and television are adopting a mobile strategy,” he said, arguing that, people can do away with the television or radio but no one can do without their mobile phone for up to four hours.
Speaking on the cost of buying data he said: “Wifi is a human right, access to information is a human right, costs of data should be reduced in Africa.”
His colleague from South Africa, Jovial Rantao, editor of the African Independent noted that the cell phone has increasingly become the most important tool in journalism.
He urged that there must be quality in the news published online especially by traditional news outfits.
He urged editors to properly verify reports to be published online and on social media. “We want to change the way people view Africa and with the internet we can do so quickly, colourfully and powerfully,” he noted.
Menesia Muinjo, chief news and programming officer in Namibia Broadcasting Corporation, NBC, advised that media outfits must use technology if they want to reach out to the younger generation.
She stated that about 1.5 million people in Namibia use the internet, noting that, it is a faster way of disseminating information not only within Namibia and Africa but also globally.