Journalism reaffirms its influence

Across the globe, the rise of social media and citizen journalism is putting pressure on established media brands.  Stories once broken by daily newspapers are now posted on the internet directly by their source.  A declining number of journalists work harder to tell their stories on a growing array of platforms.  And communications professionals scratch their heads as they try to engage companies, governments and charities in the new media environment.

People who saw the social media revolution as another channel for celebrity gossip thought again when it played such a central role in the revolutions of Egypt, Tunisia, Libya and beyond.  According to the Arab Social Media Report by the Dubai School of Government, nearly 9 in 10 Egyptians and Tunisians used Facebook to organise protests or spread awareness about them in March 2011.  On Twitter, the hashtag “Egypt” had 1.4 million mentions in the first three months of the year, and “Jan25”, the date that the popular uprising began in Egypt, had 1.2m mentions.  

The speed and authenticity of these powerful grassroots media helped them mobilise thousands of people.  They created community and common interest that overcame the fear of repression.  They showed how media can reach out to everyone and lead to real action and change.

But the tragic death of a journalist yesterday, Marie Colvin of the Sunday Times, and the outpouring of praise for her courage and her work shows that we are far from the death of professional journalism.  Her reports brought home the day to day reality of people living in unimaginable circumstances.  Her last report, and its heartbreaking images of a dying child, showed how trusted independent journalists have the power to reach millions and open the eyes of the world.  While social media led to action on the ground, perhaps it will be a more traditional form of journalism that leads to action from the Syrian regime and the international community.

In reality, the debate about traditional versus social media is a sideshow.  Content is the fundamental.  And it takes a combination of platforms to convey the powerful emotion, first hand evidence and third party analysis that can together lead to change.

Jon Bennett, Director, Linstock Communications