Technology has changed the work of communicators and influenced the training they need
One example of how technology has changed work for a
communicator is new journalists. Before technology was part of our everyday lives,
journalists had to do a lot more leg work. It took them much longer to produce
a story, get the images and verify their sources. Now, they have access to the
internet, where their research can ensure but at a much faster pace. They have
access to so much more information and rapidly. They are able to look for
similar articles, get the facts of the one they are working on, upload needed
photos and verify their sources because it’s all at the tip of their fingers.
The training is no longer just about the story or the article, but all of the
technology that journalists use to access the information. They are trained on
computers instead of typewriters, they have the internet instead of encyclopedias
and they are able to locate sources as well as people involved in the story by
a simple search on the internet. They may also learn to use social media to
tweet updates on the story they have or breaking news they do not have time to
write. “(Online news) online was the only category of news that showed growth
in Pew Research Center’s 2012 News Media Consumption survey,” (Mitchell,
Olmstead & Sasseen, 2013). Digital news is on the rise while other media
forms are slowly falling.
Educators are great communicators, but as technology came
into the picture they had to learn how to stay on top of it and teach their
students. People would never before thought about having a social media class,
but perhaps English. Simply opening a text book and reading from it and
assigning homework is no longer the only way to teach. With technology growing
and more people communicating via social media, text messages and email. This
has made educators constantly learn the skills themselves as well as how to
teach them to others. “Late last month, The Federal Communications Commission
voted to overhaul and possibly expand one of its funding programs with $2.3
billion to provide schools and libraries with up-to-date telecommunications
service and equipment, including high-speed Internet connections,” (Egar,
2013). The educators also have to go through everything themselves as technology
is constantly changing. It’s not only the students being taught but at times
the educators as well. Most schools now have a portal, for parents and students
to log into. The educators update the assignments and homework for the
students, if one misses class they can simply download the assignment. All of
these takes time to learn and with online schools, the need for educators to be
technology savvy is a must.
Advertising and PR have changed significantly with the development
of technology. Mass media has been used for a long time when it comes to
advertising, mostly on billboards, inserts in magazines or newspapers, even
television. Now things are going digital, being that more people are online
than ever before, that is the best way to advertise. Online advertising is an
industry that 20 years ago, did not exist. It has created a whole new industry
called Affiliate (Digital) Marketing. It allows companies to direct marketing
campaigns towards an individual’s interests, based on past searches and likes.
I have to admit, I play Trivia Crack daily on my phone and being that I
downloaded that game, it will source other similar games to me. When my turn is
over an ad will pop up, showing me a similar or popular game, enticing me to
download it, that is targeted marketing. Something this individual was not
possible before, advertising consisted of trying to appeal to the masses in a
television commercial. Not everyone needs to buy Gerber baby food, but those
who follow parenting sites and are on a mailing list from Pampers, will receive
the advertisement. The technology in this type of communication is new and
things are always changing. “The line between digital and traditional marketing
continues to blur. For marketers in 2014, it's less about digital marketing
than marketing in a digital world,” (McLellan, 2014).
The consumers make the demand of what they want in their
digital world. The industry changes every day as new ads come out, a new way of
building the add is quicker, a lot of it is trial and error, but the basics are
still needed on working in from of a computer every day with no contact.
For more statistics visit: http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2013/digital-as-mobile-grows-rapidly-the-pressures-on-news-intensify/
References:
Egar, J. (2013). Huffington Post. Technology and Education: The Tipping Point?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-m-eger/technology-and-education_b_3698440.html
McLellan, L. (2014). Gartner. Gartner Survey Reveals Digital Marketing Budgets Will Increase by 8
Percent in 2015
Mitchell, A., Olmstead, K., Sasseen, J. (2013). The State of
the News Media 2013.
An Annual Report on American
Journalism.
http://www.stateofthemedia.org/2013/digital-as-mobile-grows-rapidly-the-pressures-on-news-intensify/
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