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Digital Media Conclave 2021 Day 2- Staying Digitally Ahead: Are You Tech Ready for the Digital Age of Journalism?
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Shubhankar Mukherjee
3:08
Hello and welcome to the second day of Digital Media Conclave 2021, organised by Digital Journalists Association of India. Today's panelists are Dr. Marie Elisabeth Mueller, the new media expert and Devadas Rajaram, professor ACJ.
3:10
Devadas Rajaram opens up the panel by discussing the existing tools in media space. "One thing we need to get right is what do we want to achieve with technology in newsrooms. A lot of newsroom adopt tech just for the sake of it. The answer is very simple. It is to reach out to a wider audience," he comments.
3:11
"In India for example, a lot of newsrooms are still stuck in the 18th century. They're not willing enough to take new steps and experiment," Rajaram opines.
3:20
He further proceeds that in this country there is a unique potential where more than half the population is under twenty five.

Therefore, if there's anywhere in the world where journalism is gonna take a new frontier, it is from here.

In India, there is just copy-paste from the print to the online platform which is wrong. It doesn't work.
3:22
Addressing both panelists the moderator asks how with the evolution of technology how is reality becoming more mainstream?

She further enquires when it comes to this way not just digital journalist but also print and broadcast journalist, VR and tech to tell stories; how do we consciously use such technology in a way that we can continue to do the business of journalism?
3:23
Elizabeth responds by stating that it's not about us. We in news rooms are not the gatekeeper and the users have changed, their behaviors have changed, it should be our initiative to follow the user.

We are not in the lead here.
3:26
Being users first is important because behaviours have changed, our mindsets need to change be more open to change, trial and error. It’s not just about reach it's also about better connection more purposeful and qualified to reach the fragmented niches.

You need to choose the technology which is in connection to the people you want to talk to.
3:27
3:29
According to Elisabeth, there are three main aspects of emerging technology are...
 
Firstly, Use of technology to improve the quality of news will be fulfilled with the improved user experience. Secondly, The use of tech will help the journalist to focus more on the storytelling and will also help us to work on the multiplatform story and lastly, The most important aspect of emerging technology is understanding that digital tech is about the experience.
3:30
Do you think print will survive this digital transition?
It will (28.6% | 2 votes)
 
Doubtful (42.9% | 3 votes)
 
Hard to say (28.6% | 2 votes)
 
Total Votes: 7
3:35
Following the emerging aspect of technology, Elizabeth apprises the most important aspect of understanding the user experience is to connect the user with the diverse and digital tech-ready that will be used to protect our democratic societies.
3:38
Moderator to Prof. Dev-
With a country like India which has over 600 million internet users, what kind of technology do we see users adopting in the next five years?
3:39
3:40
Prof Dev.- Particularly in India, we have the largest user base of Facebook in the world. The launch of the Metaverse technology is a living reality at this moment. This combined with the 5G adaptation is going to change the country forever.

Whether Facebook is a good or a bad thing is a topic for another time. What we can do is improve our lives by this technology by leveraging it for ourselves.

I've told my students that the cardinal sin in journalism is neglecting the users. The user has no say in what they want or how they want to consume. The Metaverse will transform the user experience in media and journalism.

This is going to a huge transformation not only in terms of media and entertainment but even education, healthcare and financing.

The time crunch between the adaptation rate has been shrinking over the decades. The time taken from radio to TV, TV to Mobile and Mobile to Meta has been reducing drastically.
3:45
5G isn't as simple as we think. It will revolutionize the world in ways we cannot imagine.

Something as fundamental as working from home is going to become the new normal.

Therefore something I have preached from times immemorial is to "Adapt or Die".
4:01
Professor Dev talks about how we genuinely don't know how the algorithms for search referrals work, and at times they can be unpredictable but we live in a world where we cannot live without them. So a deeper dive into investigating how SEO'S AND SMO's work is a rapidly growing field in journalism.
4:03
4:04
The moderator asks Marie if we can be better prepared as digital media professionals in this space?
4:07
On the heels of this the moderator asks if Instagram and Facebook or the evolution of Metaverse will impact digital journalism.
4:09
Elizabeth responds by saying it's high time that we build our own independent platform that we've always had in mind we can also serve insta and fb and work with the tech but at the same time it's really about data and privacy protection.

It's high time we don't just focus on the commercial platform as a media platform of newsroom snd build our own platforms.
4:10
There is nothing wrong to bring variable info in entertaining format.
4:14
The moderator responds to this by inquiring if and how can we be better prepared as digitial media professionals in this space.
4:15
Through metaverse you can learn things at home and this has made the cyberspace hyper-accessible.
4:20
Professor Dev responds by enforcing the need of the hour is this precise internet accesibiliy. It should be a basic right, even a fundamental right at this point, for everyone in the country.
In a newsroom, we prepare for this by starting from the top down.

The top executives need to give the younger generations room to experiment. They are going to be the catalysts of change and take said initiative.
4:21
The moderator raises the question if there will be an AI/ Technological singularity?
4:24
Professor Dev counter-questions if technology is going to replace journalists? No.

Journalists can be aided by technology will definitely replace those without technology. When we think of AI, we automatically assume a Terminator entering the newsroom.

That's far from the truth. The AI is just as good as the humans that program at. Machines are better than humans at many things, but at the end of the day, these exist only to save time and make our lives easier.
4:25
4:29
A late addition to the panel has been Priyanka Chaturvedi, who happens to be the deputy leader of Shiv Sena- she mentioned about how she handles trolls on social media and how to cross-check facts to ensure a higher standard of news reporting.
4:31
Professor Dev follows this up by stating, "What I see five years down the line, I feel 5G is gonna be the most drastic change for one. Also, what is relevant to a community, to a user and to an individual is what is going to determine how content is shaped. It is going to be a user centric, user oriented experience here on out."
4:32
4:33
Elizabeth said, "If I talk to students and young journalists, it is evident that it is very important to be transparent in both private and professional spaces, while maintaining the distinction."
4:34
Dipti Kumar our moderator, thus concludes this talk. Thank you for joining us on this live poll and blog.
4:35
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