Mobile Reporting and Journalism for Media Trends, News Transmission and its Authenticity

Journalism in the era of mobile technology: The changing pattern of news production and the thriving culture of fake news in Pakistan and Ghana

“…And it is contended that mobile journalism as an outcome of technological convergence has given to the proliferation of fake news. This proliferation stems from the fact that journalists are not professional in their conduct and their news reports lack accuracy and truthfulness in countries like Pakistan (Umair, 2016) and Ghana (Ahiabenu et al, 2018). They are apathetic towards the huge negative impact of fake news to democratic political systems in societies.…”

“…These developments have affected all aspects of life and work. As a result, it is a generally accepted notion that new communication technologies have had, and will continue to have a significant impact on how media organisations and the public communicate, including the way journalism is produced and practised in different countries of the world (Ireton & Posetti, 2018;Umair, 2016). For this study, two developing countries from Africa and South Asia have been chosen, namely: Pakistan and Ghana.…”

“…With regard to this, a few recent studies and reports reveal that both countries have experienced mobile phone explosion that has resulted in the rise of mobile journalism. These recent reports and studies indicate that the growing practice of mobile journalism has altered the way journalism is produced in Pakistan (Umair, 2016;Weiss, 2019) and Ghana (Ahabienu et al, 2019;Endert, 2018;Sey, 2011). Also, some studies have shown that mobile journalism has fostered a rapid rise in the culture of fake news in both countries (Ahabienu et al, 2019;Umair, 2016).…”

“…Whereas, Pakistan has a total population of approximately 204.60 million and the number of 3G and 4G users in Pakistan has reached to 55.47 million and approximately 150 million Pakistani people use mobile phones (World Population Review, 2019;Yousufzai, 2018). The penetration of mobile infrastructure has revolutionised Pakistan's and Ghana's journalism landscapes so the working journalists, being part of mobile-laden media ecosystem, are more well-equipped and connected for rapid production and dissemination of news especially in rural and remote areas of both countries (Ahiabenu et al, 2018;Umair, 2016;Zanney, 2018). Despite these positive implications of mobile journalism, the use of mobile phones and cameras for news reporting by journalists has raised concerns regarding the authenticity and credibility of the news content in Pakistan and Ghana both (Ahiabenu et al, 2018;Umair, 2016).…”

“…There are significant international studies on fake news (Ahiabenu et al, 2018;Iretton & Posetti, 2018;Levinson, 2016;McNair, 2017) and mobile journalism practice (Bardoel & Dueze, 2001;Bivens, 2008;Cameron, 2011; Sadia Jamil, Gifty Appiah-Adjei Nicole, 2014;Stephen, 2009;Umair, 2016;Westlund, 2008Westlund, , 2013. However, there is a dearth of studies that offer qualitative analysis about the role of mobile journalism in reshaping news production process and the ways it aids in promoting fake news in Pakistan and Ghana.…”