Much has changed in recent years in the field of journalism, communication and media.
Every minute of the day, forty-eight hours of video is uploaded to YouTube. This past October, Facebook surpassed 1 billion users. By the year 2013, more people will use their mobile phones than PCs to get online.
One thing that hasn’t changed, and I don’t think ever will, is that great storytelling is the basis of great content, regardless of the medium used.
Despite this, I believe that the future of journalism won’t be as focused on the content we see today. My prediction is that in twenty years, both the content and the platforms used will be significantly different, for the sole purposes of meeting the needs and demands of this industry and the society we live in.
Digital and technological advancements
Recent technological advancements have greatly impacted the type of content organizations and journalists produce. This will only continue in the years to come. Mobile devices will become even more prominent as audiences consume information in very different ways. Smartphones, tablets and apps have influenced both the type of news as well as its mode of distribution. More than anything, however, it has caused a huge shift in consumer behavior.
Interactivity is key
I believe interactivity to be the key to great storytelling, and in today’s digitalized world, consumers want to interact, debate, respond and converse to the different issues and content that is distributed. Through a combination of text, videos, images, polls, infographics and interactive graphics and technologies, consumers have much more freedom to interact with content producers as well as other viewers, regardless of their location.
It will become crucial for news organizations to incorporate interactivity into their content, as there is a need and demand for the larger society to partake in the events that occur. Raising awareness will continue to go hand in hand with creating discussion. The emphasis will not only be on content that is trustworthy and factual, but also on telling stories that are visually and conceptually significant.
Change in content
In the years to come, another huge shift will be producing more content that is considered “worthy” or “difficult” journalism. What will prevail is content that is more in-depth and investigative. I think because consumers are living in a society that will be experiencing many changes in the years to come, news will no longer only serve the sole purpose of providing factual information. The demands of our society have changed, and organizations and individuals that offer more of a commentary and opinion, will be able to meet the needs of an external world that will continue to change drastically in the next 20 years.