Shifts in the Media Technology Landscape: The Effects, Challenges, and Future of the World of Journalism

Abstract

The advent of the Internet in Malaysia in 1998 has changed the world of journalism from conventional to digital. For that, all journalists need to be prepared with various skills in order to meet the needs of the current audience so as not to be left behind. However, not all journalists are ready to face the changes that occur in the world of journalism which require them to handle various tasks simultaneously (multitasking) either in terms of writing news, taking photos, and editing videos. This study uses in-depth interviews involving eight print journalists and broadcast comprising Malays, Chinese, and Indians in two states in Malaysia with more than 10 years of experience in journalism. The objective of the study is to examine journalists' views on the world of journalism, among others in terms of skills, technology, challenges, and future. The findings of the study found that journalists, regardless of print or broadcast media are now facing major challenges in maintaining the printing industry, especially with declining sales in the market. The results of the study also show that all media agencies are now actively transitioning from conventional to digital media to prepare journalists and enable the mainstream media to remain relevant in this industry. The findings also revealed that competition from social media platforms has seen media agencies exploiting the platform to compete accordingly in providing ethical news reports with regards to their 'house-style' as well as guided by authentic sources.