The Media World is Changing
It is not a secret that mainstream media has started experiencing criticism from its readers. The development of technology - in particular the internet - has given those dissatisfied the opportunity to create their own stories. Thus, citizen journalism was born. Citizen journalism, or news created by the active audience, has numerous advantages over mainstream media, one of which is freedom. Its difference from mainstream media is that are no goalkeepers to filter the story or media ownership corporations, whose interests must be in line with the stories. The argument of which form of news distribution is more reliable or will be dominant in the future is a debate for another article, however, it is a fact that the media world is changing and citizen journalism is a key factor in this change.
Another possibility for sharing stories that is becoming ever so popular is via social networking sites, as it allows almost complete freedom. Today Facebook and Twitter have become a place where people share their most intimate thoughts or events, and as a result have also become a vital source of information. Not only do individuals turn to social networking sites for updates, but also official reports and mainstream media credit them as a source of information. The power of these sites is fascinating, as in the UK alone there are 10 million Twitter users. Not only amateur journalists but also professionals have started using social networking sites for their benefit. Articles uploaded get ten, twenty times more readers in comparison to if they were only published on a newspaper—not to mention the international exposure.
Social networking sites’ power seems to not only connect people but also make massive impacts on their lives. Teen sensation Justin Bieber is an ultimate example, as it is questionable whether the world would have gotten to listen to his music if there were no YouTube. Another situation worth mentioning, that demonstrates the powers of social networking, occurred in the smallest Asian country: Singapore. Mr. Brown - or the “godfather” of blogging in Singapore, as some title him, lost his daughter on the subway on June 1st of this year. Desperate to find her, he tweeted “We lost Faith at DhobyGhaut Stn. She's 11, autistic & can't talk, in white top, grey skirt. Pls take her to station control if you see her.” The tweet spread quickly and even fashion labels tweeted the girl’s picture, which ultimately resulted in her safe return home within an hour or so.
The exploding power of social networking is less noticeable in Mongolia as it is in developed countries.
As 2012 is an election year, everything in Mongolia is affected by politics. Social networking sites are not an exception. The non-active pages of politicians have started popping up frequently and they are actually starting to have status updates. Even the popularity rankings of politicians available on these sites are being prepared weekly. One “brave” politician is even favouring social networking sites over mainstream media.
Another possibility for sharing stories that is becoming ever so popular is via social networking sites, as it allows almost complete freedom. Today Facebook and Twitter have become a place where people share their most intimate thoughts or events, and as a result have also become a vital source of information. Not only do individuals turn to social networking sites for updates, but also official reports and mainstream media credit them as a source of information. The power of these sites is fascinating, as in the UK alone there are 10 million Twitter users. Not only amateur journalists but also professionals have started using social networking sites for their benefit. Articles uploaded get ten, twenty times more readers in comparison to if they were only published on a newspaper—not to mention the international exposure.
Social networking sites’ power seems to not only connect people but also make massive impacts on their lives. Teen sensation Justin Bieber is an ultimate example, as it is questionable whether the world would have gotten to listen to his music if there were no YouTube. Another situation worth mentioning, that demonstrates the powers of social networking, occurred in the smallest Asian country: Singapore. Mr. Brown - or the “godfather” of blogging in Singapore, as some title him, lost his daughter on the subway on June 1st of this year. Desperate to find her, he tweeted “We lost Faith at DhobyGhaut Stn. She's 11, autistic & can't talk, in white top, grey skirt. Pls take her to station control if you see her.” The tweet spread quickly and even fashion labels tweeted the girl’s picture, which ultimately resulted in her safe return home within an hour or so.
The exploding power of social networking is less noticeable in Mongolia as it is in developed countries.
Though, Mongolians use Facebook and HiFive, the users are of a certain age or social standing. Mainstream media in Mongolia used to rarely interact with citizen journalists or utilize the power of the internet to its benefit, when it is not translating foreign events. However, the situation seems to be changing. For instance, newspapers are available in electronic versions and the younger generation of journalists are sharing their articles online. Yet, the possibility of mainstream media and citizen journalism’s corporation is not being utilized to the fullest. Mainstream media is still not exploring the potential of the internet. It would not be fair to place full blame for this lack on mainstream media’s management. Mongolia is still a developing country with limited resources; therefore the majority still lack access to the internet and IT knowledge.
As 2012 is an election year, everything in Mongolia is affected by politics. Social networking sites are not an exception. The non-active pages of politicians have started popping up frequently and they are actually starting to have status updates. Even the popularity rankings of politicians available on these sites are being prepared weekly. One “brave” politician is even favouring social networking sites over mainstream media.
He has chosen social networking the main method of communication for his election campaigns. Ch. Ganhuyag believes that he will illustrate to Mongolians that winning an election is possible using social media. Whether he is right or not will be revealed soon however, it seems that the fascination over social networking is finally reaching Mongolia. But will mainstream media here change as much as it has in the western world, is the real question.
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