Since the beginning of the digital media era, network literacy has become a debatable topic. There are various definitions for network literacy. However, in his article: “Network literacy: the new path to knowledge”, Adrian Miles (2007) provided a clear and detailed explanation for this complicated term.

Network literacy was explained as the process of understanding and becoming proficient with various tools, which are being used in interactive online environment (PLML, 2011). However, according to Miles (2007), network literacy is not only a matter of knowing but it also refers to the practice of networked media. In addition, Miles also depicts that the production and dissemination of media production, or in other words: the knowledge of network literacy, change all the time. He suggested that the reason for the fast changing of network literacy is due to the distributive nature of networked media:“the principles of distributed content production and sharing, folksonomies, trust networks and having access to skills that let you collate and build with these varieties of content and knowledge” (Miles, 2007 pp.24-30). As a future journalist, I find this point of view is extremely helpful to apply on my career for the purpose of achieving success. However, along with Miles’ opinion, I reckon that one of the reasons as to why the notion of network literacy changes quickly is because networked media involves and relates to technology. As we all know, technology changes over time. For example, a decade ago, no one could ever think that books could be read on material other than paper. Nevertheless, at the moment, the term ‘e-book’ has become a familiar norm to the world, we are able to purchase books online and read them on the fourth screen. Perhaps, while network literacy refers to the practice of networked media, and as networked media relates to technology, therefore, the notion of network literacy changes over time. Thus, in order to achieve success in my career, it is important to adapt to the quick changing of technology.

In recent years, technology has challenged media producers in terms of the process of producing media products, specifically journalists. Since its very first days, the invasion of online news has required not only news publications to change their operational structures but also demanded journalists to learn the knowledge of networked media in order to work effectively. The rise of digital media has resulted to the change of consumers’ interests such as increasing demand for vision effects. In order to adapt to such change, journalists have to change their own practice, such as developing multi-skilled. The improvement of digital media results in convergent news-gathering operation which is in great demand of multi-skilled journalists and reporters (or multimedia journalists). Nowadays, a newspaper journalist might have to produce an online version of his print article and after that appear on the television station’s newscast as well. In addition, in the past, journalists were not required to have knowledge about editing photos, shooting videos and designing websites, however, at the moment, due to digital technology and online news, such skills are compulsory for journalists. For example, the website of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, hired a TV producer to work as an online multimedia reporter (Tan & Mei, 2011). In this case, this journalist had to report news, record videos, take still photographs, and create multimedia presentations for the website (ibid).  In addition, there are an increasing number of training courses for journalists, which concentrate on helping journalists to become multi-skilled. Journalists are no longer the ones who write news, they are now considered as multimedia producers.

In addition, the change of technology also influences journalism. Due to digital media and especially the Internet, the distribution and presentation of news are also altered. In the past, printed newspaper was the only material that could be used to consume news. Nevertheless, at the moment, there are various devices such as smartphone, laptop or Ipad on which to consume news and other media. Therefore, the distribution of news has also been altered. For instance, many news publications are now creating their own social networking sites pages in order to promote highlight stories of the day. Plus, since there are more consumers now reading news on digital devices, the presentation of the news content and websites are also affected. The number of Britons accessing online news has increased by more than a half from 20% in 2007 to 55% in 2013 (Sweney, 2013). Given the experience of mobile content, particularly mobile TV, it is considered that most consumers will maintain multiple devices. Therefore, the presentation of the news content should be different from each particular device (Frank, 2012). For example, the presentation of the content in a smartphone should be different from the one in a laptop, as laptops have bigger screen than phones.

Furthermore, digital technology has also altered the way news is produced. In the past, the only materials to store news information were papers and cassettes, nevertheless, in the mean time, the term ‘back-pack’ journalist has become familiar in journalism practice. Back-pack journalist refers to the innovation of a mobile journalist workstation, which is a portable gadget that enables journalists to bring back multi format of content with them (Tan & Mei, 2011).

In addition, due to digital technology and especially social media, news can now be gathered online. The development of digital technology has also required journalists to be more sensitive in terms of using social network for working purpose, for instance take advantage of social network as a news source.  Social network has just appeared in about ten years and now it has been considered as a world-wide public sphere and an online community where individuals from beyond boundaries communicate to each other. Social network allows their users to freely convey thoughts and expressions to each other. In addition, this feature has enable users to become independent news reporter or so-called citizen journalism (Thurman, 2008). These citizen journalists might post news stories that they have witnessed to their social networking sites and the journalists might be able to collect information from the citizen journalists and after that produce news stories based on citizen journalists’ posts. Plus, alternatively, reporters can also join social networks, interview people and showcase their stories. As a result, social network can also be considered as a source for gathering news.

As technology changes quickly in a short period of time, I assume that the same thing will happen to journalism in the near future. There may be potential change to news content as a result of online news and interactive online journalism. One of the changes could be readers’ interest in news topic such as higher demand for tabloid news. In addition, the potential development of technology may result to the increase of various new forms of news such as higher production of photo news or video news for the online news. Furthermore, in the near future, news publications may have to concentrate more on developing PR service as a result of interactive online journalism. Interactive online journalism refers to consumers’ participation in commenting on the news story (Schultz, 2006). One of the participation of readers in the online environment is that they are able to comment on the story and distribute the story on the Internet. Consequently, news editors have to consider more on publishing a news story based on its content and topic, as negative stories could stir up tension in a wide community and result to the decrease of brand image. Another potential effect of technology to journalism is due to future new editing software. As nowadays reporters have to work as multimedia producers, they have to catch up with the latest editing software on time, in order to deliver well-presented and professional news content. Plus, the rise of online news is seen as a threat to the traditional printed newspaper. It is argued that due to the Internet, individuals are able to receive news quickly, which will consequence to the potential extinction of newspaper. Thus, it is vital for journalist to find solutions to maintain and increase printed news circulation. Below is a video discussing the future of journalism and the methods of how newspaper will survive from the competition with online news: 

 

The notion of network literacy as discussed by Miles is a process of knowing and practicing networked media, and it changes in a short period of time. Due to the nature of network literacy and particularly digital technology, the processes of producing media products for all types of professional media production are affected. However, the question as to when the influence of digital technology become effective, for instance until when consumer taste for news content will change, is still a debatable topic.

References: 

Miles, A 2007, “Network Literacy: The New Path to Knowledge.” Screen Education Autumn, pp. 24–30.

Frank 2012, ‘How technology is changing journalism’, NewsView Independent Editorial Political Opinion and Analysis, viewed 14 October 2014, < http://newsview.co.za/technology-changing-journalism/>.

PLML 2011, Network literacy history, definition, skills relation, PLML, viewed 25 Ausgust 2014, <http://www.plml.org/network-literacy-history-definition-skills-relation>. 

Schultz, T 1999, ‘Interactive options in online journalism: a content analysis of 100 U.S newspaper’, Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, Vol. 5, no. 1, viewed 14 October 2014, < http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1083-6101.1999.tb00331.x/full>.

Sweney, M 2013, ‘More than half of Britons access news online’, The Guardian, 8 August 2013, viewed 14 October 2014, < http://www.theguardian.com/media/2013/aug/08/half-britons-access-news-online>.

Tan, F & Mei, L 2011, ‘The digital technology ‘s influence on journalism practice’, Communication Software and Networks (ICCSN), 2011 IEEE 3rd International Conference, Xian, 27-29 May 2011, IEEE, 608-611, viewed 14 October 2014, < http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6013908&url=http%3A%2F%2Fieeexplore.ieee.org%2Fxpls%2Fabs_all.jsp%3Farnumber%3D6013908>.

Thurman, N 2008, ‘Forums for Citizen Journalists? Adoption of User Generated Content Initiatives by Online News Media’, New Media and Society, vol 10, issue. 1, pp. 1-30.