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Alexcia Lewis
Challenging the Gatekeepers
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Does the dominance of gatekeepers really matter to the strategic communicator? A simple answer is both yes and no. The typical consumer of news or publics have been given influence with the creation of the Internet and subsequent social media networks. However, the power behind how and when information is disseminated is still mostly influenced by the gatekeepers. I would like to use the term influence over control which I will explain a little later. Probably the most important difference between news in the traditional media, such as radio and television, and news on the Internet is the issue of gatekeeping. A half-dozen multinational corporations control almost 90% of the international broadcasting and cable distribution and news dissemination. The corporate executives, as was demonstrated in th Worldcom and other media giant scandals in recent years, put their personal profits ahead of service to the public and manipulate and censor the news to serve their personal beliefs and corporate interests. They are the gatekeepers. We get only the news and views that they want us to get. The Internet, however, has challenged the international corporations' control our information and ideas. Any group or individual can report news and views not found on the older media, without censorship or vested interest control (Hilliard, 2014, p. 187)
We have the ability to challenge the stories given to us by way of the gatekeepers thanks to the power of the Internet and social media networks like Twitter and Facebook. Facebook has received some major backlash because of it extreme influence in news dissemination. Facebook calls itself a 'content neutral technology platform', where users are able to connect with friends and family, read news and consume content from around the world, and then share what is meaningful to them. But as the site continues to steadily grow and evolve into the world's most powerful media site - with over 40 percent of all US-based news traffic coming from Facebook - reactions to the report have culminated in a call for a congressional inquiry into the allegations (Jazerra, 2016). Facebook which once began as a small networking site for college students has exponentially grown to be the app we tap on our phones when we hear of a breaking story. We run to social media before we even check the digital components of traditional gatekeepers such as CNN. It is safe to note that the information disseminating through traditional gatekeepers like FOX news or the BBC highly effect the news we learn of on social networking sites. Yet, the consumer has still gained some influence.
For example, when the current pandemic first broke out in China we were able to connect with Chinese residents and health officials via social networks. We could actually compare their personal experiences to the news stories disseminated through the gatekeepers. While the gatekeepers have power, this power can now be "proofread"and challenged. The Internet and social media has created the pathway for advocacy. The general public can now step into the role of an investigative journalist and advocate against the abuse of power by traditional gatekeepers. Although news, ideally, should be objective and fair and should avoid any vested political, social, religious, economic, or other point-of-view, too often the news reflects the wishes of the network or station owner, the reporter, the advertiser, outside pressure groups, or other sources that want to mold public opinion. Although the slanting of presumed objective news presents a serious ethical problem, some aspects of news reporting actually take a legitimate advocacy approach (Hilliard, 2014, p. 172). While greed may fuel the power of the traditional gatekeepers, the advent of the Internet and social media has helped develop a unspoken system of checks and balances to best serve the public with information.
Refrences:
Hilliard, R. L. (2014). Writing for television, radio, and new Media (11th ed.). Stamford, USA: Cengage Learning.
Jazerra, A. (2016, May 30). Facebook: Social media platform or news gatekeeper? Retrieved April 14, 2020, from https://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/listeningpost/2016/05/facebook-social-media-platform-news-gatekeeper-160529095125515.html
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23 hours ago
Emma Nelson
DB 4
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Hilliard utilized this chapter to talk about news and sports. Immediately, I think of my local news and see what he is referring to. Even in my local paper, we very often have Associated Press and Reuters articles running. My favorite news station in my region is part of the CBS family. Our other major news is part of NBC. However, the onset of social media and the Internet have majorly changed the “feel” of our news stations over the past couple of years. They have become personable and interactive because of their Internet presence. It reminds me of what a small-town news station might have been 50 years ago. The newscasters can interact, hold contests, and create content via their cell-phones in a way that has brought our community together.
Even though Hilliard concentrated more on news and sports in this chapter, I cannot help but shift my mind towards branding. Social media and the internet have radically altered how companies can represent themselves. Not too long ago, companies relied on a few major promotions per year. It definitely was an “eggs in one basket,” type of situation. If a product, promotion, or even simple marketing slogan failed, the company had to wait months in order to address the public again. However, with the onset of Internet and new media, brands can create a persona for themselves. Many companies will literally communicate back and forth with their followers. People feel like they can voice comments, concerns, or compliments directly to a company (Roberts, 2018). Instead of going through a PR firm, companies employ in-house social media moderators/directors to handle online communication. Thus, customer service and interaction is on display for the whole world. This builds a brand reputation like never before. One example is the XBOX team. They list their hours of operation in their Twitter bio and hold the Guinness world record for most responsive brand on social media! This alters the world of strategic communicator at these brands. I feel like at one point public relations and strategic communication were closer to marketing (or at least more formal). But in the shifting online world, these people are constant brand ambassadors.
When I was reflecting on the question of whether this matters to strategic communication, I had to stop myself and think: what does strategic really mean? It means to be carefully designed and planned in order to reach a certain end-goal. Thus, as our media world changes, the way an organization can be strategic radically changes. At one time, mail-out flyers were probably a strategic way to reach clients. Now, they would almost assuredly not have a return on investment. On the Internet, being strategic could refer to being responsive to customers. By using hashtags that are trending, an organization can attract the most eyes. Furthermore, most social media sites have a “Live” feature where the person can stream to followers. This creates a level of personability and authenticity that is increasingly important among younger generations. Another great strategy is to follow and interact with other organizations/brands that have a similar feel and personality as yours (Burgess, 2019). This all works in the strategic communicator’s favor to create a personality for the brand.
Maybe Hilliard is right that multinational corporations control 90% of broadcast and cable opportunities. However, are the methods that they control still the most strategic and affective? I would argue not. People are consuming more media through the Internet than they are traditional media. Furthermore, the finances come from advertising. In 2017, Internet advertising surpassed TV ad spending for the first time (Richter, 2019). This pattern will undoubtedly shake up the traditional media conglomerates.
Burgess, B. (2019, October 28). Make your brand more personable with social media. Retrieved April 06, 2020, from https://hyperchatsocial.com/how-to-make-your-brand-more-personable/
Richter, F. (2019, November 26). Infographic: 2019 marks an inflection point in media consumption. Retrieved April 06, 2020, from https://www.statista.com/chart/9761/daily-tv-and-internet-consumption-worldwide/
Roberts, J. (2018). The impact of social media in strategic communication industries. Retrieved April 06, 2020, from https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/stratcommwriting/chapter/the-impact-of-social-media/
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