Online journalism faces the arduous task of helping shape public opinion for online users who retrieve information from cyberspace, a venue where there are many distractions and where content is not given much attention.

By DANILO ARAÑA ARAO
Bulatlat.com

Gone are the days when journalism was synonymous with the print medium. At present, journalism education in the Philippines and abroad highlights the multi-media character of the profession and the need for a journalist to straddle print, broadcast (television and radio) and new media to more effectively reach out to a broader audience.

For journalists, the new media, particularly the Internet, has provided both opportunities and problems. On one hand, it is welcome news to know that information on just about anything has become more readily available. On the other hand, the problem is exactly just that: the deluge of information.

Journalists, just like other researchers, are currently facing not a dearth of information but an overload of it. In the course of their data gathering using the Internet, there are two basic challenges that must be overcome: how to filter the information one can use; and how to establish the reliability of the information gathered.

There is, of course, another dimension to the use of the new media in the practice of one’s profession: How can a journalist maximize the opportunities provided by the new media without being too dependent on them to the point of complacency and compromising journalistic principles and standards?

Journalists in print, broadcast and new media face these dilemmas as they gather data for their required outputs. On the surface, online journalists seem to be more dependent on new media, particularly the Internet, as they are expected to provide, say, the necessary hyperlinks to websites so that online users can be directed to their online sources for validation and more information. However, the convenience of having information just a click away, so to speak, prompts journalists – be they print, broadcast or online – to just simply cite the available information that can be retrieved from the Internet.

Without filtering and establishing the reliability of information, it is obvious that journalists do a disservice to the media audiences by either misleading or bombarding them with information both necessary and unnecessary. We must keep in mind that the basic task of journalism is the shaping of public opinion by giving media audiences information that, in our best judgment, is important.

Unlike in a restaurant where an owner can serve food in abundance and be appreciated for the gesture, journalistic outputs must be kept “short and sweet.” In other words, media audiences would not appreciate the overload of both significant and insignificant information since social reality must be explained to them in a manner that is digestible.

The imperative for journalists to be true to their calling becomes all the more important in a maldeveloped society like the Philippines where various interest groups try to win over the hearts and minds of the people and claim to provide solutions to age-old problems. In much the same way there exist cultures of conformity and resistance in a maldeveloped society, there are mainstream and alternative traditions in journalism. The first seeks to protect the status quo while the second seeks to replace it.

In the context of online journalism, the Internet has also become a venue for interest groups to relay their messages, putting up websites and e-groups, among others, to reach out to online users. They all have something in common: They claim to know the truth and they try their best to be as convincing as possible.

Online journalism, in particular, faces the arduous task of helping shape public opinion for online users who retrieve information from cyberspace, a venue where there are many distractions and where content is not given much attention. Media audiences, particularly the youth, are more enamored with network gaming and virtual communities like Friendster. Websites are also often designed in such a way that form gives way to content, as software programs like Flash are maximized not for content management but for the three-dimensional graphics and special effects it can provide.

Problem of a Dime a Dozen Websites and Webmasters

Even if the Web was introduced to Filipinos only in 1995, websites have grown in number mainly as a result of three factors: introduction of what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) web authoring programs; better and more varied Internet access; and ubiquity of blogging.

In an article I wrote three years ago, I argued:

“The introduction and subsequent upgrading of (WYSIWYG) web authoring programs like FrontPage, PageMill and Dreamweaver made it much easier for interested people to learn the trade.

“Web authoring skill does not require formal education, only patience and diligence. A 2001 survey by the monthly magazine The Web Philippines showed that 82.3% (or 65 out of 80 web developers surveyed, with one respondent skipping the question) learned their skills through self-study.” (Modern Technology and Online Journalism in the Philippines, Philippine Journalism Review, August-September 2003)

At present, there are several ways to access the Internet. There are now prepaid cards to access the Internet via dial-up connection, and one can also opt for the more relatively expensive cable, DSL and wireless connections. Those without Internet connection at home can just visit the nearest internet rental shop. In 2001, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) claimed that there are 3,000 internet rental shops in the country.

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