How mobile and social devices have redefined the relationship between news consumers and producers

Welcome to the Digital Age!

Surely I am not the first person to highlight the ways in which this world has formed an unwavering dependency towards our mobile and social devices. We rely on these pieces of technology to effectively communicate with one another, share content, ideas, opinions and of course, news. The bottom line? Mobile and social devices allow us to stay connected and informed.

This prompts us to stop and consider the advantages and disadvantages to having these devices within arms reach at all times. In a digitial age where anyone can create, share, and publish their content, we must be cognisant of power and influence social and mobile devices hold.

Image courtesy of Wix.com

So, what does this mean for news?

Prepare for a shift in the news landscape as we know it. In 2019, Pew Research discovered that the population of U.S. citizens who prefer to get their news online is growing. In fact, the study, which was conducted in October 2018, was intended to showcase the ways in which Americans obtain their news.

The study found that 34% of Americans preferred to get their news online, as opposed to the 28% who reported so in 2016. In a similar vein, the study found that employment in digital newsrooms increased by 82% between 2008 and 2018.

This graph suggests the sources which Americans rely on for their news consumption. Image courtesy of Pewresearch.org.

Clearly, these statistics are indicative of a shift in landscape within the journalism industry. As more citizens begin to rely on digital platforms for news consumption, producers of news are finding increases in employment as they attempt to respond to the changing consumer demands.

Image courtesy of Wix.com

So, what does this mean for the relationship between consumers and producers of news?

The culture of news is changing. The ways in which consumers stay informed is rapdily changing. The expectations consumers hold journalists too have grown, and with it, we can identify the emergence of a need for urgency, dependency, and transparency.

Consumer habits have changed in recent years with the expansion of digital news. In today's world, journalists must be equipped with a set of mobile and social related skills. Now in creating news, reporters must be conscious of their audience analytics, work to drive engagement, and write and produce stories in a condensed, mobile format. Reporters must now be exceptionally versed in all social media platforms, and be able to adhere to the wants of their audience in real-time.

In a much more concise and aesthetically-appealing way than I am able to, this graphic describes 8 important skills needed when entering the digital media world.

Image courtesy of @GlenBMulchay via mobilevideodiycom.