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October 16, 2014

Development Journalism and New Media

Development Journalism and New Media
1.      Introduction
Media has immense powers, primarily it is a watch dog. They shoulder the responsibility of spreading awareness among people and thereby developing the nation. Political leaders like M.K Gandhi have used media extensively to promote development. Gandhi has been termed as the most influential writer and journalist that India has produced, Gandhi knew the power of the word, spoken and written, in inspiring people to action.[1] Gandhi realized that he can bring development only when people are informed about a particular issue or event. Development journalism and New Media play vital role in creating, moulding and reflecting the public opinion. They contribute to shaping political, economic and social development in the country.
2.      Understanding the concepts
2.1   Development
The systematic process of economic, social, political, environmental and scientific transformation due to the continuing or constant working on a particular issue or event is known as development. It is the process of adding improvements to land, village, town, health sectors, transport and others. The process of developing, progress or growth of or in particular thing or area is known as development. The word ‘development’ is derived from the old French word ‘desveloper’, which means ‘unroll, unfold, unwrap, unfurl, unveil or reveal’, in 1590s.
2.2  Journalism
Journalism is the process of collecting, analysing, interpreting and disseminating of information to public through medium like print, broadcast, internet or new media. Journalism refers to the news or feature stories (light, entertainment stories) that are expressed either in a descriptive way or concise pattern through different types of media.[2] Journalism comes from Acta diurna, which appeared in the Roman era, where news and announcements affixed to or installed in the city centre at a time when it was called the Forum Romanum. The origin of the word Journalism is ‘Journal’ or ‘du jour’ which means day, where all the day’s news or the news contained in the printed sheet.[3]
2.3  Development Journalism
Jo Ellen Fair, Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication, conceptualises ‘development journalism’ as reporting that relates to the primary, secondary and tertiary needs of a country’s population. She describes it as news that satisfies the needs of a country’s population and enhances self-reliance, i.e. news that relates to development or to social, economic or political problems.[4] It concentrates on giving voice or courage to under privileged individuals, family, or groups of people and helps them to have dignity and status in society. The main characteristics of development journalism are the deliberate and active role in pressing for change. It is geared towards mobilising the people for national development. The notion of development journalism was introduced in 1960s at the Press Foundation of Asia and it became popular in the Third World countries.
Development Journalism is synonymous with a ‘grass roots approach’[5] or ‘local journalism[6],’ that is, it is decentralised and participatory. It does not restrict itself to mass media alone but also use the traditional communication media. Development Journalists travel to under developed areas, collect information through interaction with citizens and report it in different media. The work of travel journalists invites government officials or authority concern to take active role or steps to improve the living conditions of those people in remote places.
The most important component of development journalism is credibility, which most readily won by the media’s adequately advocating the interests of the affected people, which means interalia articulating criticism of the government. Probably only a free media system is able to contribute to rooting out corruption, this fundamental evil in developing countries, by revealing and pillorying it. The most important task of development journalism can be seen in removing the acquiescent basic attitude towards one’s own destiny which is so closely tied up with poverty.
2.4  New Media
New media refers to on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, and creative participation through  CD-ROM, HTML, streaming media, DV editing, web applications and DVD-video, chat rooms, e-mail, online communities, Web advertising, virtual reality environments, Internet telephony, digital cameras, mobile computing. Wikipedia, an online encyclopedia, is an example, combining Internet accessible digital text, images and video with web-links, creative participation of contributors, interactive feedback of users and formation of a participant community of editors and donors for the benefit of non-community readers. Facebook is an example of the social media model, in which most users are also participants.[7]
3.      Goals of Development Journalism
Development journalism identifies under developed places and exposes them to government and public through medium like print, broadcast, internet or new media. It aims to reach rural areas with timely, relevant, and clear information. It addresses the negative news and spot news bias and try to report more news concerning the development process and get people involved to act on information people received. “The goals of development journalism are promoting grassroots, non-violent, socially responsible, ecologically sensitive, personally empowering, democratic, dialogical and humanistic forms of communication”. Development journalism emphasis on stability, partnership, harmony, and consensus therefore, there is no distinction between ordinary people and officials. Developmental journalism promotes mass rights over those of the individual. It is rooted in the notion of doing what is right for the common good.
4.      How new media brings development?
New media helps in better education facilities, facilitates interactive learning and make learning less boring.  It makes people to think creatively at very early age. Digital media technologies and their so-called killer apps, and the popular adoption and acceptance of these computer applications, are revolutionising our sensory perceptions and cognitive experiences of being in the world.[8] New media brings attention to issues that are overlooked or under-represented by other media and by the international political community. As investigative reporters, they uncover the stories within the stories, revealing the multi-faceted nature of poverty. Neuman argues that new media will alter the meaning of geographic distance, allow for a huge increase in the volume of communication, provide the possibility of increasing the speed of communication, provide opportunities for interactive communication, allow forms of communication that were previously separate to overlap and interconnect.
New media educates the people on social problems like Aids, dowry, sati, female foeticide, polio and other areas. New media bring attention to issues that are overlooked or under-represented by other media and by the international political community. As investigative reporters, they uncover the stories within the stories, revealing the multi-faceted nature of poverty.[9] Digital media also known as new media have revolutionised the exchange of information. News travels at a very high speed to public. Websites, mobile applications, blogs, and social media have become standard additions to the way people stay connected to and interact with news and events, and today’s media professionals require a robust skill set in order to stay current in their field.
5.      How new media journalist use media for development?
One definition of the duty of a journalist reporting on development is to: “critically examine, evaluate and report the relevance of a development project to national and local needs, the difference between a planned scheme and its actual implementation, and the difference between its impact on people as claimed by government officials, and as it actually is.”[10]  New media journalists can provide interactive discussions about various political, social and economic issues and try to form a solution. For example Video Volunteers provide a platform for people to raise questions about corruption, infrastructure, education, health, gender, forced evictions, caste and identity, art and culture, environment, development, conflict and technology and make government to take actions.

6.      Impact of Media in Development
6.1  Print
Print is the oldest media forms that include books, newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, and other printed material. Print media can address the issues like economic development, agriculture and food security, health, sanitation and medicine, employment, education and literacy, informational technologies development, housing conditions, environmental sustainability, urban and rural development, gender equality and many other areas.
6.2  Radio
Radio is the wireless transmission of signals through free space by electromagnetic radiation of a frequency. It is a powerful mass medium used in education for disseminating information, imparting instruction and giving entertainment. To reach the unreached areas, radio has immense power. Its waves can reach remote corners of the country. It is a fast, inexpensive and sows the seeds for development through communicating development messages. Different programmes pertaining agriculture, environment, health, women safety, child welfare, science & technology, national spirit and others are being aired so that people learn and are informed.
6.3  Television
Television can be a powerful tool for development. Initially television programmes were kept tight under control of the government, which embarked on a self conscious effort to construct and propagate a cultural idea of the Indian nation. A radical transformation of television in Indian has brought in 1990s. Doordarshan and other private own television channels began to focus on socially relevant problems such as AIDS, alcoholism, cancer, child abuse, drugs addiction and rape. Some public television programs stimulate visits to the zoo, libraries, bookstores, museums and other active recreational settings, and educational videos can certainly serve as powerful development devices.
6.4  Internet
The impact of Internet on education can be felt in homes, schools, colleges, universities, with information available at lightning speed. Today a vast amount of information is available at just a click of the mouse. Sharing of information or ideas through internet will foster development. For example when a person wants to learn how to edit a movie, photo, song etc they can just visit YouTube and they will get the tutorials. People who want to do research on various topics cannot but depend on internet.
6.5  Mobile
The advent of mobile devices like smart-phones, games consoles, digital cameras, media players, net books and handheld computers have been rapid and the impact on development is becoming an area of significant research interest. Mobile devices are the best friends of people. For example engineers, doctors, builders, architects, mechanics and other people irrespective of their professions need mobile to communicate with their colleague or clients. Farmers needs mobile so that they get information about the different types of seeds, fertilizers and schemes available for them. 
7.      Advantages of Developmental Journalism
Development journalism has a lot of attraction for developing countries. First, in countries where poverty is the norm, the government of the day wants and needs as much support as it can get. A press that reports government inefficiencies is therefore not welcome. The government will probably have to take decisions which are based on the common good but which harm individual liberties. These decisions may be highly unpopular but they have to be taken, and a hostile press can hold back government’s progress while a supportive press can help the government push these policies ahead.
8.      Disadvantages of Development Journalism
The press becomes far less critical and eventually is forced to give up its ‘watchdog’ role in society. Developmental press has come to be equated with one in which the government exercises tight control and prevents freedom of expression, all in the name of noble ends.
9.      Conclusion
Media has a very significant role in the development of a nation. Development journalism and new media have impact on different sectors like agricultural, education, science, economic, political, cultural, religious, medical, and other sectors that affect humanity. They can transform the thinking pattern, behaviour and action of a person or of society.  Creative and proper use of development journalism and new media will enhance faster growth in society and in a country.
10.  Bibliography
Books
1.      Everett, Anna and Caldwell, John T. (2003) New Media: Theories and practices of Digitextuality. New York. Routledge.
2.      Sharma, Seema (2005) Development of Journalism. New Delhi Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. Pg 32-33.
Internet
1.      http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-journalism.html accessed on 14/8/2014.
2.      http://fjrbudiman.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/the-origin-of-journalism-in-the-world/ accessed on 21/8/2014.
3.        http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/05/03/fea01.asp accessed on 17/8/2014.
4.      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media accessed on 21/8/2014.
5.      http://www.east4south.eu/index.php/media_and_development/2._development_journalism/ accessed on 21/8/2014.
6.        http://mecs.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/311/Lecture_Notes_-_Development_Journalism.sflb.ashx accessed on 21/8/2014.


Footnotes

[1] The works of Gandhi could be seen in The Indian Opinion, Navjivan, Young India, Vegetarian and others. Seema, Sharma (2005) Development of Journalism. New Delhi Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. Pg 32-33.
[2] A journalist reports news, which can be through print, television, radio, or even the Internet. The main purpose of a journalist is to report news with accurate facts in an unbiased manner. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/types-of-journalism.html accessed on 14/8/2014.
[3] http://fjrbudiman.wordpress.com/2012/10/22/the-origin-of-journalism-in-the-world/ accessed on 21/8/2014.
[4] http://archives.dailynews.lk/2012/05/03/fea01.asp accessed on 17/8/2014.
[5] Grass roots approach is an approach which deals with basic issues, basic fact, basic ingredient, basic public opinion that might affect people at large.
[6] Local journalism deals with news or information from local areas or rural areas and brings effect or changes in that particular area. Journalists are rooted in the local culture concerned. Example of local journalism could be town hall meetings, fire side chats and so forth.
[7] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media accessed on 21/8/2014.
[8] Anna Everett and John T. Caldwell (2003) New Media: Theories and practices of Digitextuality. New York. Routledge. Pg. Xi.
[9] http://www.east4south.eu/index.php/media_and_development/2._development_journalism/ accessed on 21/8/2014.
[10] http://mecs.ukzn.ac.za/Libraries/311/Lecture_Notes_-_Development_Journalism.sflb.ashx accessed on 21/8/2014.

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