Role Of Computers In Journalism

Role of computers
(Information Technology)
in Journalism
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree
of MASTER OF ARTS IN JOURNALISM university of Balochistan 2009

CONTEXT

ACKNOWLEDGMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

WHAT IS COMPUTER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

JOURNALISM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY TODAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

MAJOR THEME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

STORY RESEARCH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

COMMUNICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

EDITING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

PRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

THE REALITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

I would like to thank all of the journalists listed as interviewees for their
time and consideration of my questions and hypotheses. I hope that I have
represented their views fairly and accurately. In this regard, I would like to
acknowledge the assistance of my classmates, for their assistance in
introducing me to many of their colleagues.’

Would also like to thank my work placement employers at Computer

Publications Group for their latitude in my arranging the interviews for this
project and in allowing me the time off to write up the final work.

Within the University, I would like to thank my teachers, for there

assistance.

MOHAMMAD WAQAS ASLAM

STUDENT OF
MASS COMMUNICATION

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

• INTRODUCTION
The purpose of this project is getting a sense of Pakistani print journalists’
experiences of that technology and to examine how its ongoing adoption
might affect their work.

In attempting to define the work of journalists in a manner which might

assist an assessment of the influence of information technology, I have
identified five areas of activity which broadly encompass their work:

 Research
 Communication
 Writing
 Editing
 Production
These areas of activity were used in the case study interviews to tease out
the specific effects on the day-to-day work of the journalists and as a
framework for the material covered in the literature review.

This study of Pakistan journalists and their interaction with new

technologies raises more questions than can be answered here. It does
however shed a little light on the way in which this technology has impacted
upon their lives and how it may continue to do so in the future.

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

• WHAT IS A COMPUTER
A computer is a machine that manipulates data according to a set
of instructions.
Although mechanical examples of computers
have existed through much of recorded human
history, the first electronic computers were
developed in the mid-20th century (1940–
1945). These were the size of a large room,
consuming as much power as several hundred
modern personal computers (PCs). Modern
computers based on circuits are millions to
billions of times more capable than the early
machines, and occupy a fraction of the space. Simple computers are small
enough to fit into a wristwatch, and can be powered by a watch
battery. Personal computers in their various forms are icons of
the Information Age and are what most people think of as "computers".
The embedded computers found in many devices from MP3
players to fighter aircraft and from toys to industrial robots are however the
most numerous.
The ability to store and execute lists of instructions called programs makes
computers extremely versatile, distinguishing them from calculators.
The Church–Turing thesis is a
mathematical statement of this versatility:
any computer with a certain minimum
capability is, in principle, capable of
performing the same tasks that any other
computer can perform. Therefore
computers ranging from a mobile phone to
a supercomputer are all able to perform the
same computational tasks, given enough
time and storage capacity.

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

• JOURNALISM

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

Journalism is the craft of conveying news, descriptive material

and opinion via a widening spectrum of media.

These include newspapers, magazines, radio and television,
the internet and even, more recently, the mobile phone. Journalists are
they writers, editors or photographers; broadcast presenters or producers
serve as the chief purveyors of information and opinion in contemporary
mass society. According to the BBC journalist, Andrew Marr, "News is what
the consensus of journalists determines it to be."
The formal status of journalism has varied historically and, still varies
vastly, from country to country. The state and hierarchical power
structures in general have tended to see the unrestricted flow of information
as a potential threat, and inimical to their own proper
function. Hitler described the Press as a "machine for mass instruction,"
ideally, a "kind of school for adults." Journalism at its most vigorous, by
contrast, tends to be propelled by the implications at least of the attitude
epitomized by journalist” Secretive power loathes journalists who do their
job, who push back screens, peer behind façades, and lift rocks. Opprobrium
from on high is their badge of honor."
Censorship, governmental restriction or even active repression of individual
journalists and non-state organs of communication continue to cause, at best,
intermittent friction in most countries. Few formal democracies and no
authoritarian governments make provision for protection of press
freedom implied by the term Fourth Estate.

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

The rapid rise of Internet technology, in particular the advent

of bloging and social networking software, further destabilize journalism as
traditionally understood and its practitioners as a distinct professional
category. Combined with the increasing leakage of advertising revenue from
pre-existing journalistic media into the internet, the full impact of the arrival
of the citizen journalist potentially positive (proliferation having thus far
proved more difficult to police) as well as negative is yet to be seen.

• Information Technology
Today

Information technology is increasingly affecting our lives in a manner which

has become commonplace. The year 2000 has long been portrayed by
scientists and storytellers as an age of the future, where technology would
impinge upon our lives far more than we could ever have imagined. As we
stand on the verge of the new millennium, this age of electronic innovation
seems to have ‘sneaked up’ on us without our being fully aware of any
material change.

Almost unbeknownst to us, this electronic era has reshaped our lives. The
ATM machine allows users to withdraw money from their bank account, 24
hours a day, as easily from quetta as from karachi. While in karachi, the
same bank customer can send and receive phone calls on an Pakistan
number using their GSM cellular telephone, from which they can control an
elaborate home security system back in quetta. All of these daily
occurrences would have been regarded as futuristic only a few years ago.

As recently as 1989, the CD-ROM was described as "a 5 inch silvery circle
that stands to revolutionize libraries" (Abrams & Berstein, 1989). In only 6
years, something which had been seen as a revolutionary tool of the future
for libraries and large companies has become a standard element of a family
PC for games and reference material.

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

When Beekman refers to the computer, he doesn’t just mean the PC or a

large mainframe. He includes ‘embedded computers’ which are central to so
many everyday devices in our homes and at work. In fact, Beekman makes
the point that the rapid evolution of the computer to the level of something
which is integral to so many aspects of our lives has disguised its potential
effect: "In less than a human lifetime, computers have evolved from
massive, expensive, error-prone calculators like the Mark I and ENIAC into
a myriad of dependable, versatile machines that have worked their way into
just about every nook and cranny of modern society."

Journalism is one area in which information technology, or more specifically

media technology, has affected the way in which people work and in some
instances, the very nature of that work. At a Journalism conference in lahore
earlier this year, identified "several ways in which information technology
touches on the practice of journalism, all of which have affected how
journalists do their job":

 ‘Direct input’ by reporters and from external agencies,

into the editorial system;
 Transmission of journalists’ copy from remote location
into the editorial system;
 On-screen page make-up;
 Electronic scanning and on-screen editing of photographs
and graphics;
 Development of in-house electronic libraries;
 Access to electronic information sources;
 Electronic publishing of specialized publications and
some existing publications.

For each of these activities, today’s technology offers journalists a growing

capacity to accomplish them with ever-increasing efficiency. Such
technology is becoming increasingly more powerful and more affordable, by
smaller media organizations.

Direct input and transmission of copy have been greatly enhanced by the
availability of ISDN, a network of high capacity digital telephone lines. This
has allowed high speed error-free transfer of all sorts of information across

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wide areas. Such information would include large quantities of text,

photographic images and computer programmers; all of which may be sent
from one side of the globe to the other in minutes.

Cellular telephones and laptop computers have made around-the-clock

availability of skilled personnel possible. The recent combination of both
these electronic tools has allowed the ultimate mobile office to offer
reportage direct from the scene of news events, almost anywhere in the
world. The question must be asked if this increased mobility has led to a
better quality of life in terms of managing one’s timetable, or alternatively,
an inability to escape the workplace.

Other computer-based technology has caused a blurring of some traditional

responsibilities in the workplace. Because elements of the skills of some
workers have been automated, these skills can sometimes be carried out just
as effectively by other workers, in addition to their own work. Inexpensive
desk-top publishing (DTP) systems have made available much of the skills
of former print and design houses to many people with a personal computer
and an eye for design. This ease of demarcation in the workplace has
delivered substantial cost savings and offered a growing degree of flexibility
and speed of operation.

In the area of research, vast quantities of information are being made

available in new and more accessible media, like CD-ROM. This same
information is being made globally accessible by the exponential growth of
the Internet and other computer networks. Allied to these sources of
information, are additional electronic search methods, which have made
access to such information simple, quick and inexpensive.

•
•
•
•

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

• Major Themes
This chapter examines some of the studies and articles on major themes
within media technology. Much of this literature is Pakistani, which reflects
their advanced stage of the adoption of much of the media technology
available today. There have been a number of studies which have examined
both the level of adoption of technology and the degree to which it has
impacted on the work of journalists.

Research studies of Pakistani newspapers have shown that "electronic

information technologies have been adopted in a large majority of the
nation’s biggest dailies”. Examined the uses of technology in 105 of the 108
largest dailies in the Quetta. With an average circulation of 193,445 and an
average of 193 editorial staff. The results of this study show that the most
widely adopted technologies were that of the portable computer (97%) and
the fax machine (93%). The study noted that "these technologies are
relatively inexpensive and produce few changes in routine that would
demand important managerial decisions."

The same study showed that 90% of the newspapers had at least one
commercial database subscription. The number of these subscriptions varied
greatly, with 10 newspapers having none and one newspaper having
subscribed to 14 different databases. The growing importance attributed to
the use of electronic libraries is underlined by the fact that 67% of the 105
newspapers were operating one, with a further 28% having had plans to
install electronic libraries in the future.

Despite such high rates of adoption of the available technologies by leading

newspapers, some commentators have insisted that the newspaper industry is
still slow to change its traditional methods of discovering and delivering the
news. In a survey of two large daily newspapers examined the practices of
30 journalists in their use of computers as part of their work and its effect on
their traditional roles. The study found that the main use of computers was
"as electronic typewriters and as devices to check the electronic clipping
files." both these activities as variants of traditional aspects of a reporter’s
job, "small, but growing groups of reporters at both newspapers are using
computers for communications, research and organization in their reporting"
and regarded these activities as representing "new techniques and reporting
tasks".

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 Role Of Computers In Journalism

• Story Research

In an article about their 1990 study of 105 Pakistani Daily newspapers,

referred to in chapter one, identify the area of story research as that which
has gained most from the application of the new technologies: "Electronic
information technologies have vastly improved both the speed and the
comprehensiveness of information access for newsrooms. News libraries
play increasingly prominent roles in reporting and editing in newspapers".

In another study published in the same year, compared 30 stories that won,
or were nominated for, newspaper with 30 other newspaper stories from the
1985-1989 periods. The conclusions of the study refer to the prize-winning
journalism as having’ information richness’. The stories used a far greater
diversity of sources in their preparation and relied more on third-party
research than did the non-prize-winning stories. This study underlined the
importance of the diversity and quality of information sources to generating
high quality news stories.

The effects of the adoption of electronic library systems for newspaper

research was examined when proposed that "the change in the way
journalists acquire information for their reports has substantial potential both
to influence news production and to change the character of news stories."
The results of this study demonstrated that although there were several
important changes in the way a story was written, the extend of these
changes depended on the degree to which news reporters had adopted the
new technology. Whilst this may seem obvious, it had been accepted by staff
that all journalists would use the old ‘clippings’ facility, but that a
significant number of journalists failed to use its electronic equivalent. The
impact of this technology varied greatly depending on the level of
participation in any given publication. This point will become significant in
the light of the case studies, when we discover the degree to which the
journalists interviewed have adopted the technology and the degree to which
proper training has facilitated that move.

The use of technology for researching news stories has become known as
‘Computer Assisted Reporting’, or CAR. The extent of its impact was

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underlined in a recent article by the Pakistan media correspondent, "The use

of computers for investigating news stories, providing background to
profiles, allowing analysis of complex financial data and generally
sharpening up news, will probably have greater impact on the news media
than newspapers going online and being available on email or on the World
Wide Web."

A similar concept of ‘Computer Assisted Journalism’ (CAJ) is defined as

encompassing "online database research, the acquisition and analysis of
government databases and the creation and use of staff-developed
databases". Underlines the importance of CAJ as providing a means to make
stories definitive in a more realistic time frame than would have been
previously available. Clearly such use of computers requires the availability
of government databases and access to them by members of the press.

• Communication

With the provision of global cellular telephone systems and increasingly

easier methods of transferring elaborate messages from one country to
another, it is ironic that the most popular method is also the least elaborate -
and not coincidentally, the least intimidating. The most popular means by
which technology has effected communication is in the provision of email
facilities.

The nature of the use of email will vary from one instance to another. It can
be used to keep in touch with colleagues within or outside any news
organization. In addition, if offers the facility to conduct interviews with
someone who is unavailable at a time or venue which is convenient. Finally,
email has provided access to electronic discussion groups between people
who share a common interest, by means of an email mailing list, or
‘listserv’. This final use provides a wealth of experts from many fields to
those who subscribe to a particular listserv, which is a resource that is
increasingly being used by journalists.

Email, more than any other means of communication has provided a direct
and very personal method of audience response. In an article in Magazine,

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writes about the growth of online newspapers and their use of the Internet as
a new means to reach their readers. However, he points out that the
provision of email addresses for their reporters has "an electronic dialogue
between journalists and their audiences that is having a subtle, but important
effect on both – and inevitably, on the whole profession of journalism".

The Pakistan media also seem keen, if a little skeptical about the benefits of
email. A survey published in August 1996 found that 45% of Pakistan media
had access to email facilities and that 71% of those currently without it
indicated their intention to have it in place within a year. An interesting
aspect of this survey was that despite the widespread access, the preference
of editors remains to receive press releases and stories by traditional
methods.

• Editing
In a survey the question was posed as to whether sub-editing on a computer
terminal was faster and/or more accurate than hard copy editing. The study
focused on the sub-editors of newspapers which had been operating on-
screen editing for a period of at least two years. Although many of the
differences uncovered by the survey were not statistically significant, there
was a contention that on-screen editing was slower, but more accurate than
hard copy editing.

It is not only the journalists who have access to the facility of direct input.
Since the early 1980s, some companies have chosen to issue news releases
electronically. This material initially enters the editing system of many
newspapers in the same way as the direct input copy of the reporters. If
reporters have been given more control and with it more responsibility in the
input of copy, then does the same additional control, (without the
responsibility), fall to external agencies submitting copy electronically?

A study conducted relating to the publication of material based on news

releases from the University of Balochistan that "electronic news releases
are edited less than hard copy news releases". The study examined the
treatment of over 300 electronic news releases and the subsequent
publication of related stories in the newspapers. The impact of the news
releases was measured both in the timeliness of the copy and story length.
37% of the news releases issued were published by the newspapers in some

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form and 31% of those published were almost entirely rewritten in their final
publication. The study also found that the reduction in substantive editing
associated with electronic receipt was higher in stories of low news value.

• Production
Perhaps it is in the area of page makeup that the introduction of media
technology has been most visible. This process which is referred to as
‘pagination’ in Pakistan , allows an editor to operate a computer terminal
from which he may select and edit copy, write headlines, select and size
photographs and graphics, lay out and set a page and output the result as
‘camera-ready copy’, to be photographed and made into printing plates.

The adoption of pagination was far slower than had been anticipated, mainly
due to the industrial relations problems involved. However, from 1985 the
larger newspapers began to replace the computerized systems which had
been adopted for the first wave of new technology, direct input, in the 1970s.
As these systems were replaced, some publishers chose to include full
pagination facilities as part of the replacement editorial systems.

The impact of the introduction of pagination systems was examined in a

study discovered that the job of sub-editor was to undergo substantial
changes with the adoption of the systems. "The job of putting the type on the
pages becomes the work of the editor. This requires editors to perform new
functions - functions of a technical, non-traditional and production-oriented
nature."

Editors interviewed welcomed the additional control it gave them, but many
acknowledge that the quality of the traditional editing skills suffer as the
editors concentrate on the design and layout elements of their work. Some
editors who moved across to pagination systems regretted the time
constraints which limited their opportunities for proper training. This lack of
proper training for some editors may explain observation that "some editors
now see part of their work as wrestling with an unfriendly machine; others
see it as working with a sophisticated new tool".

The survey confirmed that the workload of sub-editors had increased

substantially, but that this additional workload would easy off as newsrooms
became more adept at using the new technology.

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In a study the increased workload of sub-editors using the pagination

system. In studying the work practices of sub-editors in 12 newspapers
varying in circulation from 18,600 to 508,500, discovered that 10 to 20
minutes was spent doing electronic makeup for each page. Although the
average time of 15 minutes seems small, for a paper producing 50 pages per
day, it amounts to more than a full shift for an editor. Russial pointed to this
factor for the falloff in attention to traditional editing skills: "If it continues
to take up those extra minutes and additional editors are not hired, quality
will almost surely suffer". New Publishing Opportunities:

One of the great advantages of the growth of new technology has been the
provision of new opportunities in the form of electronic publishing. The
growth of the Internet in the past few years has provided a new and
burgeoning market for an industry experiencing a shrinking and ageing
customer base. The Internet may also provide ‘a second bite of the cherry’ in
creating additional revenue for the same material which appeared in print.
The area of electronic publishing, both on the Internet and by other means
has created new problems for journalists. "Publishers see the Internet and
other new media as a chance to ‘syndicate’ your work to individual readers,
viewers and listeners. Most don’t really understand the new media much
beyond that. So, apparently with the encouragement of the Periodical
Publishers’ Association, they’re trying to grab everything from you for a
one-time fee." The easy with which copyright can be ignored is
demonstrated by the publication on the Internet.

The impact of new media on the future of news is difficult to imagine. I

underline my impact on access to the media: "A personal computer, plugged
into a telephone, becomes a printing press, a broadcasting station, a town
hall meeting: connecting a computer to a telephone creates a new medium,
with unique properties and powers."

One of the greatest changes will be a merging of current media. Newspapers

online will include video clips and sound files of today’s headlines. The use
of hypertext links will offer further information for those who wish to take
that option. The reader can then return to the original story, or follow a
series of related links. This will require journalists to write stories in a non-
linear fashion, allowing the reader to determine the level of information they
want at any particular point.

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THE REALITY
Summary of findings
The interviewees at the four publications in the preceding case are not all in
agreement as to how new technology has influenced their work, or even that
it has done so at all. Whether this divergence of opinion is due to the work
methods of a particular newspaper or the personal experiences of the
journalists concerned is unclear. What is apparent is that definitive changes
have taken place in Pakistan journalism and that these changes have, at the
very least, been facilitated by the use of technology.

These changes have brought many benefits to the newspaper industry. In the
main, these benefits have been financial in cost-saving to the newspapers
themselves. Because this primary motivation was based on job losses and
increased workloads, many journalists have been suspicious of all aspects of
the technology and may be open to accusations of having thrown out the
baby with the bath water.

The Pakistan newspaper industry has not finished its technological

transformation. It is unclear how long it will take for the available
technology to become a standard feature of Pakistan newspapers. It is likely
however, that the pace of technological advances will continue to maintain a
lead on their application within the industry. The Report of the Commission
on the Newspaper Industry acknowledges the uncertainty of that future:

"The speed of technological advances in both the publishing and printing

trades in recent years has been very great indeed. Those involved in the
industry are agreed that they are in no sense at a standstill and that in the
reasonably near future; further significant advances are likely to develop.
The nature and direction of such future advances is insufficiently precise to
make speculation concerning them of value."

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