Digital Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Digital Journalism - Essay Example The changing face of journalism and mass communication is the rise of web 2.0. This is the rise of a new form of technology that allows people to not only read information online, but they can also contribute to the subject of discussion. The main characteristic is that he pages are not static, such that one reads information and contributes her opinion on the topic of discussion. The user can also store information, and social bookmarking abilities. This is the example of facebook and other social networking sites that allow for users to share information and share ideas (Fuchs 2011). Web 2.0 has an audience. The audience comprises of those who read the information on the sites and contribute. The rise of blogging has given a different dimension to the practice of web 2.0. The sites have their own audience comprising of people who visit the sites and share information. Those who participate in the blogging sites and other commentary sites comprise the audience of the sites. This platform has an impact on mainstream media as bloggers and other users can gather information and share it on these platforms, making the role of main stream media greatly diminished. Additionally, the users of web 2.0 can use the platform to confirm or deny the information carried on mainstream media, making it essential for journalists to always confirm their work before sharing (Dahlberg & Siapera 2007). It thus, increases accountability. The web 2.0 media are also cheaper ways of advertising and can carry more advertising messages as opposed to mainstream media. This means that the business that is the main source of revenue for mainstream media is being diverted. The use of the web 2.0 platform can also allow users to post information that is targeted at a specific audience based on the target audience of the blog. This increases precision of the message and