Audio Journalism
Word of mouth was the storytelling medium our ancestors, in the modern age we have developed a new storytelling format, podcasting.
Podcasts became popular in the early 2000s, after new handheld technologies became mainstream and people began to download radio broadcasts on their iPod and iPhone. The term podcast was coined by journalist Ben Hammersly in an article discussing the possibility of ‘amateur radio’ with the rise in new technologies.
Podcasts offer a wide range of topics, from crime to pop culture and everything in between. They are an accessible medium, with most podcasting platforms being free and available in most countries and languages. This new wave of audio information made news and information accessible for the vision impaired. Many people including the vision impaired choose daily news podcasts such as 7am as their form of morning news.
News platforms discovered the rise in podcasting in the early 2000’s and many have adapted podcasting into their news sharing network.
The flaw with podcasts is that almost anyone can publish one and recently there has been a lot of controversy around celebrities spreading misinformation.
Podcasts have a physical effect on the brain, increasing our electrical impulses, and providing dopamine, oxytocin and endorphins. Studies show that podcasts stimulate mental imagery, creating a stronger and more vivid imagination. Regular podcast listeners are often better listeners when it comes to human interaction, being able to focus on topics of conversation for long periods.
Podcasts are great resources for easily digestible information in a variety of topics. A little fun fact, in 2005, podcast was the word of the year!
Reference List:
[https://www.onefineplay.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-podcasting](https://www.onefineplay.com/blog/a-brief-history-of-podcasting) [https://www.ranieriandco.com/post/the-science-behind-podcast-ads](https://www.ranieriandco.com/post/the-science-behind-podcast-ads) [https://www.vastsolution.com/resources/the-benefits-of-listening-to-podcasts](https://www.vastsolution.com/resources/the-benefits-of-listening-to-podcasts)Tayla Oates
Visual Journalism
They say a picture is worth a thousand words and to this, visual journalism is the embodiment.
Photojournalism
Photojournalism is the practice of capturing the urgency of current affairs through pictures. It is the commingling of photography and journalism, when fused, develops a greater narrative in conjunction with written text for elaboration. An image, therefore, is used to confirm the content of any accompanying writing.
It is crucial to note the importance of photojournalism’s spontaneous nature, the adrenaline fueled shutters of unwritten moments, and the opportunistic mode of photography. For it is of highest journalistic standards to never stage or manipulate an image for the sake of an unconvincing angle. For photojournalism to stay authentic, journalists must stay honest with the photographs chosen alongside written words.
Photo credit: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-47873002
My favourite piece of photojournalism is the picture of Alaa Salah, a woman leading revolutionary chants in protest, calling for the resignation of President Omar al-Bashir in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan. It is a true visualisation of the wisdom, knowledge and power women possess when it comes to leading the masses.
Photo credit: https://www.voanews.com/a/sudanese-woman-in-iconic-protest-images-reports-getting-death-threats/4873437.html
Data Visualisation
Data journalism is the practice of organising information in a numeric and visual manner. It is used to emphasise an idea, to add empirical evidence and optimise aesthetic to stimulate interest. Hidden within any network of data, lie important insights which words reinforce.
More than just the two
It is widely accepted to think of visual journalism as only photojournalism and data visualisation, however it holds a broader responsibility. Visual journalism is about using creativity to engage our audiences, to entice their attention so they stay informed. Visual journalism is based on the premise that one believes what one sees, that the most persuasive language lies within our own eyes.
As journalists, we are taught to write as concisely as possible. This may not be a natural talent for some, certainly not a natural talent of mine. Having information visualised allows our brains to declutter the foreign formulas of writing and helps bookmark the important stuff.
The growing use of visual journalism may allude to a shift from writing, to a focus on visual storytelling as the main driving force of a piece. This may be due to the trend of declining attention spans, a possible majority of visual learners and the universal versatile nature of visual journalism. Even when there’s only a simple graphic or diagram used, visual journalism can sometimes communicate more clearly than words.
Visual journalism takes on a holistic approach and it helps to imagine the bigger picture.
Reference list:
- https://mediaguide.fi/mediaguide/what-is-visual-journalism/#:~:text=Visual%20journalism%20is%20the%20combination%20of%20text%2C%20images,of%20a%20newspaper%2C%20magazine%2C%20TV-channel%20or%20so%20on
- https://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-the-editors-22483705
- https://datajournalism.com/read/handbook/two/working-with-data/experiencing-data/data-visualisations-newsroom-trends-and-everyday-engagements#:~:text=The%20growing%20use%20of%20data%20visualization%20within%20journalism,when%20it%20is%20a%20simple%20graphic%20or%20diagram
- https://www.theartstory.org/movement/photojournalism/
- https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-africa-47873002
Asyiqin Sanif
Moving images
Moving images may be one of journalism’s powerful forms of media language. It’s a language of media that informs you twice, offering you the news while also providing the “proof” of the news through the power of visuals.
The concept of moving pictures became a thing in December 1895 in Paris, France. In that month, the Lumière brothers presented a projected moving picture to an audience. Their invention was the ‘cinématographe’ which was a device that was composed of a camera, projector and a film printer in one machine.
It is debated that the 18th century was the rise of technological developments that opened the gates of different media forms, especially in the film and arts industry and culture.
These developments and changes strongly transformed the world of journalism and the adjustments continue till this day. The existence of wire transmission, innovation in cameras and faster films, digital processing and colour printing all shaped the way we provide and digest news.
Arguably today our strongest form of receiving news is through visual videos and photographs of news around the world, partially thanks to the power of social media as well as TV’s and visual projects such as news related documentaries.
A prime example of how moving images has transformed our way of digesting news media is Al Jazeera’s social media publisher, AJ+. It is a network channel that solely produces news on a visual medium including a variety of social media infographic news posts and YouTube videos that is mainly composed of documentaries and other ‘creative news videos’ that fit today’s society’s modern lifestyle habits.
Moving images is not only a ‘modern’ and creative technological advancement in the world of media, it is also a diverse and inclusive form of language in media. Today, in this world of advancement, it is important to remember as a journalist and creator to produce news and other media work as accessible as possible.
According to GAAD, more than 85% of people with disabilities in Australia use visual forms of media to take in world news and information.
It is a responsibility to make sure that everyone can have access to world news and information. Not only is it creative, fun and easy to understand, it is also a universal form of media language that provides and solidifies every journalist’s work that is produced for the people to have.
Reference list:
- https://www.scss.tcd.ie/publications/theses/diss/2017/TCD-SCSS-DISSERTATION-2017-070.pdf
- https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-massmedia/chapter/8-2-the-history-of-movies/
- https://old.gigaom.com/2013/11/22/an-exclusive-behind-the-scenes-look-at-aj-al-jazeeras-upcoming-online-news-network/
- https://www.ideas.org.au/blogs/3-ways-to-make-inclusive-content.html.html
Nour Hegazy
