Reporting and disseminating news about current events has historically been considered one of the main functions of news media outlets. However, the over reliance on network journalism and a lack of a balance with other roles of news media, specifically news analysis and global correspondent coverage, particularly in the Middle East, hinder the professional advancement of these outlets.
The process of delivering and reporting the news involves scrutinizing sources, verifying the authenticity of all information, and curbing plagiarism. Although this process is a foundation of journalism, the Internet has influenced the way of handling that information. Now, a fluid state of digital media exists, mainly in the form of blogs and social media. Some media outlets have strayed from their foundation of corroborative reporting, balanced journalism and compliance to intellectual copyrights. This growing lack of accountability reflects poorly on the accuracy and objectivity of information portrayed in the media, and calls into question the quality of their content.
Two Main Phenomena
Controversy in reporting has been tied to two main phenomena. First is the rise of citizen journalism, which has recently served as an alternative to traditional journalism. Citizen journalists are able to offer an edge over mainstream reporters as they have the ability to cover any abrupt news and events instantly.
Citizen journalists played important, informative roles in major events such as the 9/11 attacks in New York City, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, the Madrid bombings in 2005, the Iranian Green Movement protests in 2009, and the Arab Spring starting in 2011 and its resulting regional ripples.
A number of media outlets have worked to invest in this new approach of journalism, especially in states that suffer from internal conflict and ongoing crises, such as Syria. These outlets rely on citizen and eyewitness photos. The easy access to content via the Internet has allowed for wide developments in this field. TV channels have cultivated methods to get access to this content well before it is made public.
The second phenomenon involves the reliance on content made available through social media. This has given modern media outlets an edge over traditional media outlets in covering the news. Some TV channels have resorted to re-broadcasting media that was spread on social media websites. Social media has become a source for major headlines, particularly in regions that are inaccessible to journalists due to internal conflicts or blanket media bans.
The spread of news on social media websites and blogs has allowed TV channels and news websites to report news faster than ever. The speed at which information can now travel enforces the need for media outlets to adapt quickly to an ever-shifting medium. However, the rapid pace at which they operate has increased the possibilities of reporting fake news and offering shaky evidence.
Various Factors
There are number of factors that can explain the increased exchange of data between social media and traditional media outlets; the most important of which are the following:
1. The effect of capital on media performance. After moves made by the private sector to own and fund various media outlets, including TV channels and newspapers, expectations rose as it was hoped that this would raise the professional standard of the media. However, in various cases, the opposite has happened, and sometimes the news was restricted as it became tied to reflect the personal interests of the investors.
In addition, media outlets face a decrease in spending on improving employee performance and a lack of reliance on a proper global network of journalists and media representatives. The lack of international collaboration in these media outlets has reflected poorly on their professional performance.
2. The reluctance of journalists to cover areas of conflict. Media organizations cannot guarantee the safety of their reporters, particularly in regions suffering from intense conflict or tension. This is due to the lack of coordination between the media outlets themselves and concerned parties in the conflict zones. Some news organizations do not even provide protective gear, such as bulletproof vests and helmets, to their staff at a time when journalists are being intentionally targeted in conflict areas, especially in Syria.
In that respect, the “Syrian Center for Journalistic Freedoms” affiliated with the Syrian Journalists Association, stated in December 2016 that over 350 Syrian journalists had been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011. A report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in December 2016 stated that 48 journalists were killed in 2016 while covering conflict in Syria, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan and Somalia. Syria has been ranked as the country with the highest journalist mortality rate for the fifth year in a row, with 14 journalists killed in 2016.
According to the CPJ’s report, 26 of the journalists killed in 2016 were caught in the crossfire fire while covering conflicts, and 18 were intentionally targeted in retaliation for their coverage of events.
The presence of journalists in areas of conflict relies on whether or not there are parties willing to afford their protection. That protection comes at a cost, namely the framing of narratives. This pushes journalists to, in some cases, to edit the news and falsely attribute bias. This leads to the spread of one-sided news and framed conflict narratives.
3. Local journalists tend to cover international news to avoid legal consequences. The retreat in levels of press freedom around the world has become very apparent over the last couple of years and has reduced interest in local news by local journalists. These journalists have shifted their focus to international occurrences to such an extent, that the coverage of international news has become the main centerpiece in local printed and electronic sources.
In this respect, the 2016 CPJ report stated that the number of journalists sentenced to prison around the world totalled 259. Turkey was reported as having the highest number of journalists imprisoned, 81 in total. China followed with 38 journalists currently in prison.
The unfavorable environment for press freedoms and journalistic rights has become even more apparent with the migration of local journalists from a number of regional states. The Agency for the Protection of Journalists in Iraq has warned of this phenomenon, as Iraqi journalists have fled the country to avoid the dangers of reporting from within the country.
These combined factors indicate that news coverage in the near future will continue to be riddled with obstacles. The escalation of conflicts in the region, and the growing intensity of fighting, particularly in Syria, will inevitably lead to the further targeting of journalists by terrorists groups and local militias.
