The development of technology is endless, including in communication technology. Communication technology seems to keep moving forward in every second. This makes the delivery of information also easier and faster. The most striking of the changes in the development of communication technology is all to be digital.
This change led to the emergence of a modern era of journalism that was faster, more precise, and accurate. The emergence of modern journalism is inseparable from the important role of the internet in conveying information. The internet which is also one of the new media kicked off space and time limitations in communication which is commonly called online journalism .
According to Lister , the development of communication technology in the era of modern journalism as a form of new media development actually refers to a change in the process of media production, distribution and use. New media cannot be separated from key terms such as digitality , interactivity , hypertextuality , dispersal and virtuality .
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In this digitality concept , all digital media processes are changed or stored in the form of numbers, so that the output (out put) in the form of online sources, digital disks , or memory drives will be changed and accepted on the monitor screen or in the form of ‘ hard copy ‘.
Meanwhile, the concept of new media interactivity refers to the opportunity where text in new media is able to give users to ‘ write back into the text ‘.
While the concept of dispersal of new media is more to the process of production and distribution of media to be decentralized and to rely on individual activity ( highly individuated ). Restrictions contained in the new media is often equated with digital media, which should new media more in the context of contemporary culture and the concept of the practice of the media than a set of technology itself (medium). (Ido Prijana Hadi: SCRIPTURA Scientific Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, January 2009: 69 – 84)
Online Journalism
According to James Glen Stovall (2004) in online journalism there are 4 dimensions, namely the dimensions of flexibility, capacity, immediacy , and permanence.
- Flexibility, here reporters can process their news reports in various forms for information, both in full text , along with other information that can help readers understand the subject matter.
- Capacity, is one of the weaknesses in online journalism where there is a limit to online journalism which is located in the quota or data storage space for information –
- Immediacy, sending news instantly and simultaneously ( instantaneous reporting ) –
- Permanently,digitally stored news documents for a long time and maintained quality. It doesn’t even take long to find this document again.
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Advantages of Communication Technology in Modern Journalism
James C. Foust in his book, Online Journalism: Principles and Practices of News for the Web (2005), says that there are several advantages possessed by the internet as the development of communication technology in the modern journalistic era as below:
- Audience control
Here news connoisseurs are no longer only faced by one news choice, but several information choices that can be chosen at will. The information presented will vary and news readers or listeners can choose the news that they want to know without the hassle.
- Nonlienarity
Nonlienarity means that the information conveyed does not have to be sequential or related to other information. With the internet, the information presented can vary. A journalist can post different types of news or information, such as culture, education, crime, or even lifestyle.
It is this diversity of news that makes news readers or listeners more interested and satisfied in their desire to obtain information.
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- Storage and retrieval
Another advantage of communication technology in modern journalism is storage and retrieval. Storage and retrieval is easy access to store and retrieve data that already exists. Ease of storage in question is no longer needed a lot of paper or spend space to store data or information because everything has been stored properly on the internet.
With data or information stored on the internet, journalists and information connoisseurs can access the information anytime and anywhere. This convenience is not obtained from previous information technology.
- Unlimited space
The internet or communication technology now also makes it easy to store large amounts of information. Even because of the large amount of information storage on the internet, all the information that has existed since the first time the internet was discovered until now can still be accessed easily.
- Immediacy
The development of communication technology in the era of modern journalism in the world of journalists, the speed of delivery of information must be prioritized. An information will be considered stale or not too responded by the reader if the information submitted is old information. Therefore, journalists need media that is very fast to convey information, namely the internet. In just seconds, information can be directly conveyed to the whole world directly.
- Multimedia capability
Unlike other media, new media alias internet is able to offer a more complete presentation of information. If a newspaper or magazine can only present information in the form of text and images, then the internet is able to present information in the form of text, images, sound, and even video simultaneously.
7. Interactivity
Not only offering one-way information, the internet is also able to invite readers or information connoisseurs to interact. This will make it easier for journalists to respond to feedback from the public quickly.
Thus the discussion about the development of communication technology in the era of modern journalism. The development of modern journalism is still long and will continue to grow along with the development of communication technology. The ease of getting this information will continue to be adjusted to the wishes of information connoisseurs.
