Students globally are watching world conflicts unfold live via cell phones thanks to media digitization. On November 27, Charles Sennott, a journalist and professor at Boston College, joined FACES Council and AHANA Leadership Council for discussion on the evolution of televised conflict focused on the Middle East. They analyzed the impacts of digitization and social media on the creation and consumption of conflict journalism.
The ability of people to film global events and conflicts marks a metamorphic future of journalism and communication. Consumers receive news and media to form their opinions, and modern technologies allow for rapid coverage of the truth. The main insufficiency in the media, however, lies in the lack of opportunities for legitimate voices to reach the surface.
“Authenticity is the 2023 word of the year,” Sennott said. “We need authentic voices. The essence of culture is conveyed by storytelling.”
The new world of televised conflict allows for more “regular people” to share their stories. Voices shared on social media are real, which makes modern news more impactful. Journalists are currently risking their lives to bring full stories to viewers across the globe. This is vastly different from broadcast news that has been the norm for decades.
Journalism has done a subpar job promoting voices of diverse ethnic backgrounds, but digitization has allowed for more voices to be heard. Sennott noted the news industry’s history of being overrun by white men and fact-selective. Media digitization promotes more voices and unveils a greater framework behind conflict.
Cell phones and social media have encouraged positive transformation in news consumption, but fake news prevails. Consumers must learn how to validate what they see and verify the constant flow of news provided by social media. One must maintain their ideologies and beliefs but utilize social media to reveal truths.
“If a journalist is doing their job right, they create framing, frameworks, and work hard to get at truths to see where history is going,” Sennott said.
Media digitization makes global conflicts more visible to individuals. The truth of situations is revealed better, and individuals hear the voices of real citizens across the globe, not just journalists. Social media has helped to promote authentic voices in a rapid and accessible manner. College students are living through a time that marks a new age of journalism and media, and they can finally explore truths and stories revealed in real time.
