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Is
The Internet Stiffling Print Journalism?
By IFEANYI OSUEKE |
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There is no
gainsaying the fact that Internet has positively altered the face
of business transaction in the world economy with the concomitant
effect of redrawing the plans, modus operandi and strategy of business
concerns irrespective of size and form so as to remain relevant
in a world where technology dictates the pace.
The most significant consequence of the web has been acclaimed by
both the digital natives and immigrants as its unimaginable reality
of reducing the entire world to a village square, crossing mighty
oceans and seas at supersonic speed just at the click of a mouse
or press of a bottom, bringing most businesses and other human endeavors
into the cyber space where access is automatic, this remains amazing.
However, on the wake of the technological revolution is the resultant
sending of cold jitters down the spines of many skeptics who feared
that rather than increase job opportunities, the gradual and steady
dominance of the technology in work places would result to job loss
as massive application of Information Technology tools requires
a few people to execute the job of many.
The veracity or otherwise of this statement is moot and reserved
to the judgment of individual interpretations. What is not contestable
however, is the fact that Internet has a tremendous impact on Journalism
as in other professions. Such effect has been described variously
by both IT analysts and Media Practitioners.
It has been argued strongly in many quarters that digitalization
and the influx of the Internet pose a challenge to the traditional
journalism profession especially the print, which was believed to
be at the verge of extinction owing to the enormous advantages of
the newest form of journalism known as “Cyber or online journalism”.
Concerned practitioners influenced by the “Dying Print Journalism”
syndrome such as Mark Vanpas, the CEO of Model Technology International,
believe that print journalism is dry, awry and belated unlike cyber
journalism that has been popularized as a result of its life-like
pictorials and speed at which news can be disseminated worldwide.
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Admitting that there
is a contention between the traditional and new media, Barb
Palser the director of Digital Media for McGraw Hill Broadcasting
said “there is big misunderstanding between traditional
and new media journalist. It is clouding our conversation
about the future of the news and creating acrimony when we
need solidarity”.
He continued, “it must be tempting to blame online publishing
for some of the changes happening in print newsroom and set
up- a “print versus Internet rivalry; it is a false
rivalry and damaging in several ways”. |
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Palser however,
agreed that there is an issue that must be trashed out between online
and traditional journalism when he said, “When editors protest
the terrible things happening to newspapers, they are warning us
that the quality of journalism is in jeopardy and must be addressed
quickly”. Some experts however think that the raging rivalry
between print and Internet will certainly see the print swallowed
owing to the over bearing influence of the Internet.
In a recent forum, Biodun Durojaiye, web developer with versatility
in journalism, reeled out what sounded like a death-knell on print
journalism when he said that various forms of Internet journalists
have emerged, properly positioned to cover all the beats as in traditional
news medium.
He said that the fact that these journalists publish their stories
in the World Wide Web for free challenges the rationale behind the
continued patronage of local newspapers. He maintained that online
journalism has taken over the media landscape as blogs are almost
equivalent to opinion pages of the print and are actually taking
over that column.
Durojaiye stated further that Google news among other independent
websites is a strong rival of the traditional news function of the
print. He opined that such news sites have already dwindled the
print media which lack the features exhibited by the new trend
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journalism. He maintained that these
independent sites are veritable sites for topical issues with
a possibility of instantaneous feedback.
He was of the view that the sharp drop in newspaper patronage
in Nigeria as in any other part of the world is not unconnected
to these factors but a |
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testimony
of an industry over run by the dynamism of time; an ailing sector
begging for time to go under.
Daniel Obiaju, London based former correspondent of Thisday Newspaper
added that the daily uplink of newspapers to the Internet may not
necessarily be in the financial interest of the organization more
so, when Internet advert is yet to gather momentum in this part
of the world.
According to him, “The issue of Internet providing the newspaper
with wider audience also comes with reduction in cover price. Internet
has led to the decrease of revenue thereby increasing other cost
as money would have to be invested in web design”.
In spite of the raging controversy, veteran journalists and media
practitioners of many years standing have waved the argument aside
stating that more than ever before, the print journalism will continue
to flourish and grow both in circulation and readership.
One of such veterans is Ray Ekpu, the chief executive officer of
Newswatch Magazine and former President of Newspaper Proprietors
Association of Nigeria (NPAN). Ekpu, whose experience in journalism
span many years and cut across various media organizations, said
that threat to print journalism owing to technological innovation
has been an issue at every new invention yet, print has continued
to survive and the Internet will not be an exception.
According to him, “the newspaper will never die; it was an
issue during the radio time but newspaper did not die. The threat
was stronger during television because of sound and sight effect
yet, the newspaper still exists; we have seen many of these”.
Ekpu said contrary to the thinking of many, what actually affected
“buyership” of newspapers and magazines is not necessarily
access to Internet or lack of it but cover price which is a function
of the economic situation of the country.
Describing the Internet as “announcement medium”, he
said it has short-comings that make it incapable of smothering the
print media. Among these inadequacies are the radiation from the
Internet which could have health implications, lack of permanence
and lack of proper investigation and editing before uplinking.
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This he posited, is
unlike in traditional journalism where the journalist is given
hands-on training, imbued with necessary journalistic principles
with the ability to get detail from detail.
“We
should surf the Internet but we must be discriminatory about
it because a lot of what goes in it are rubbish”, Ekpu
said but noted however, that the Internet and print are complimentary.
Collaborating the views of Ekpu, the Registrar, Computer Registration
Council of Nigeria (CPN), S.A Shehu in an exclusive interview
with this Magazine opined that the print has come a long way
and will always appeal to certain segments of the society. “That
the Internet has made the world a global village does not mean
that certain segments that the print media has |
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to cater
for will extinct. Without pressing the button, you are right
at what you want to read. I do not see how the Internet will
overshadow the printing industry instead I see them as being
complimentary.”
He continued, “What I think the print media should do
is to see how it can invest money into research and development
so that whatever it is doing will deliver value and meet the
challenges of time”, he concluded.
A retrospect into the history of printing shows that since Gutenberg
invented the printing machine in 1447, printing and journalism
have continued to grow together.
The birth of the Telegraph in 1884 saw reporters sending electrically
communicated information, sending stories by |
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telegraph and
this “changed” not “smother” the newspaper
business.
The Times of London was founded in 1785 and is still making waves
rather than going under. It is on record that the Times has digitalized
some 20 million articles and more than 35 million images and has continued
to remain relevant.
Marcel Hoe, managing director Training and Event, World Association
of Newspapers, once announced that the print media remains the world's
largest advertising medium with 40 per cent share. He quoted the World
Trend, 2008 report as saying that newspapers control a $190 billion
industry globally, reaching 1.7 per cent readers daily while global
circulation including free dailies increased by 3.48 per cent last
year and 14.1 per cent over five years.
It is therefore, obvious that the Print media is still the preference
of certain per centage. The Internet complements the Print and together
both will grow in spite of the influence of either of them. |
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Private Media
Mart, a Lagos based pubic relations firm has launched what could be
regarded as the first Nigerian online news portal known as NewswireNigeria.
Managing Director of the public relations outfit, Ejiofor Agada explained
that Newswire Nigeria is aimed at reducing the rigours journalists
pass through in sourcing for news materials.
He said that registered persons will have news stories sent to their
email addresses depending on the indicated choice areas, explaining
that the portal is like a bridge between the journalist and the corporate
organization because press releases and media events of registered
organizations will be uplinked in the portal from where journalists
can access such information without payment. Reward he said will be
given to journalists who credit their stories to NewswireNigeria.
The elated Agada told journalists that the portal is unique in different
ways and was developed by a team of Software developers with vast
media experience making the portal user friendly.
He added that the portal makes report, accepts audio files, press
releases and exceptional feature that enable a journalist to interview
a subscriber.
The chairman of the occasion and president of the Newspaper Proprietors
Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Ray Ekpu, congratulated Private Media
Mart for their vision in enhancing journalism practice through the
web. He encouraged public and private organizations to subscribe to
the medium and advised journalists patronize it.
Editor of IT Edge magazine, Segun Oruame who reviewed the portal commended
the developers for their ingenuity in creating such a user friendly
site but advised that subsequent upgrades should consider building
local search engines from where stories from the archives could be
retrieved. |
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1st
National Conference On Cybercrime And Cybersecurity Communique |
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THEME:
National Digital Security: Engaging the challenges of Digital Criminality
& the Future of Nigeria” - The Role of the Federal Government.
2. Many estimate the global cost of economic crime to be over $500
billion annually. As the Internet and technological advances continue
to reshape the way we do business in government and industry, and
competition and economic pressures create quicker and more efficient
ways to do business, the reality of increased economic crime having
a serious impact on the global economy grows geometrically.
3. Today, available data estimates that the global economy looses
more than $200 billion dollars annually in direct and related damages
to Cybercrime and threatens world peace and security. The quantum
effect of the emerging monstrous challenge of Cybercrime to developing
economies translates into a colossal digital nightmare to the African
Continent and indeed, particularly to Nigeria, currently without
any reliable e-law to deal with Cybercrime,. Reliable case studies
to show that an attack on a national infrastructure could, by virtue
of its catastrophic consequences, completely paralyze the machinery
of Government. In recognition of the accelerated rate of growth
of Cybercrime globally, the Federal Government of Nigeria is desirous
to enthrone a sustainable Cybersecurity Framework as the vehicle
for sustainable growth and national development.
4. In realization of the above, the Global Network for Cyber Solution
a non-government and-not-for-profit organization - convened the
first national stakeholders' conference on Cybercrime and Cybersecurity
at the Nicon Luxury Hotel, Abuja, Nigeria, between August 18 20,
2008, to address the challenging issues and their impact on Nigeria.
The Conference attended by a total of two hundred and ten (210)
participants, stakeholders, IT Professional groups, Lawyers, students,
representative of Private Sector, Business Community, NGOs, and
distinguished Resource Persons and Facilitators from Nigeria and
overseas countries, was hosted in collaboration with the Federal
Ministry of Justice, National Information Technology Development
Agency (NITDA), Kofi Anan Centre for Excellence in ICT, Accra, Ghana
and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and a host of others.
The main objectives are:
5. To sensitize policy makers and core stakeholders' on the urgent
need to explore in detail, issues of Cybercrime and Cybersecurity
with particular reference to the future of Nigeria.
6. To evaluate the emerging risks and impact on national development
and the survivability of Nigeria.
7. Examine the Government e-Readiness status in actualizing the
objectives of Information and Communication security challenges
as enunciated in the WSIS declaration.
8. To explore strategies towards establishing relevant laws for
Cybercrime focused on the protection of National Information Infrastructure
(NII) and personal privacy.
9. To explore strategies towards providing relevant capacities especially
skilled human resource in responding to the challenges of cybercrime
and cybersecurity The conference recommends as follows:
10. Declare Cybercrime and Cybersecurity as a National emergency,
which deserves conscious political will and special budgetary resources
to effectively engage the challenges presented by its projected
impact.
11. Government to sponsor an Executive Bill to provide and enact
into law, the following ACTs to deal with the excesses of Cybercrime
and Cybersecurity pandemic in Nigeria and the ECOWAS Region:
12. National Information Infrastructure (NIIA) Act.
13. Provision of legislative framework for cyber crime and security
Capacity Building at all levels.
14. Enactment of National Computational Machinery misuse Act
15. Establishment of Cyber Crime Complaint/Reporting and Response
Centre.
16. Establishment of National Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Training
Centre for Lawyers Prosecutor and Judges.
17. Establishment of National Emergency Response Framework on Cybercrime
and cyber security.
18. Establishment of Cyber Police and Forensics Commission.
19. Establishment of Cyber Space Technology Development Agency.
20. Enactment of National Cyber Crime and Cyber Security Act.
21. Enactment of National Cyber Space Technology (CST) Act.
22. Enactment of National Cyber Space Technology (CST) Infrastructure
Act.
23. Enactment of National Cyber Space Technology Intellectual Property
Act.
24. Enactment of National Electronic Commerce and e-Payment Act.
25. Establish a National Cybercrime and Cybersecurity Complaint
Centre.
26. Establish a National Institution for Cyber Space Infrastructure
Protection
27. Government should constitute a National Standing Committee on
Cybercrime and Cybersecurity.
28. Establish special courts for cybercrime and cybersecurity proceeding.
29. Establish Science and Technology Parks across the nation to
build critical skilled capacities and integrate technology into
our culture and as such engender internal solutions to Cybercrime
and Cybersecurity challenges.
30. Re-engineering and channeling of the e-skill-sets and potentials
of Cybercrime Youths into positive use for national development.
31. Declaration of anti-cybercrime and cybersecurity National day
every year for national cyber consciousness and awareness.
32. Re-engagement of vulnerable groups such as women and kids via
inclusion of anti-cybercrime and antipiracy education in the nation's
school curriculum
Released by: Global Network for Cybersolution Ltd/Gte. August 29,
2008.
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| Sky
Vision Partner Intelsat For Broadband Growth |
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Intelsat,
Ltd., the world's leading provider of commercial satellite services,
announced that SkyVision Global Networks LLC, a leading global provider
of Internet services over satellite and terrestrial fiber optic systems,
signed a multi-year, multi-transponder contract for C- and Ku-band
transponder services on Intelsat's IS-4 satellite, located at 72º
East.
“SkyVision's business in broadband applications has grown by
more than 700% in the last three years and Intelsat has enabled us
to expand and to meet that demand,” said Mark Gazit, CEO of
SkyVision. “This contract will further enable SkyVision to deploy
IP infrastructure for the innovative VPN services which it now provides
to its customers in Africa and the Middle East, in support of their
private networks.”
“Broadband connectivity demand continues to be a significant
driver for our business. We are seeing growth accelerating worldwide,
particularly in the Middle East and Africa,” said Jean-Philippe
Gillet, Intelsat's Regional Vice President, Europe and Middle East.
“Intelsat's competitive strength in providing a satellite infrastructure
to service operators in high-demand regions enables these operators
to launch applications that fuel corporate networks. Applications
include Internet access and connectivity, digital media streaming,
distance learning, data file transfers and voice-based services.”
SkyVision is a leading global service provider of telecommunication
services to Internet service providers and also provides global telecommunication
solutions to enterprises and NGOs.
Intelsat is the leading provider of fixed satellite services (FSS)
worldwide, delivering information and entertainment for many of the
world's leading media and network companies, multinational corporations,
Internet service providers and governmental agencies. |
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