The prospects of a career in online journalism

News and information is useful and effective only it can grab eyeballs. For several years now, the significance of any news and the information it conveys has been reduced to an eye catching heading and a few appealing lines that fit within the top few inches of a laptop or mobile phone screen. With reducing attention span, time and interest, most people, specially the millennials and younger, are more comfortable catching a glimpse of the important headlines on the go. Reduced TV time and excessive addiction to the mobile phone screen, makes this genre of journalism easily acceptable among people and creates better opportunities for all types of media whether written or audio-visual, to grab user attention on the digital platform.
Catching the latest breaking news at the click of an app and glancing through the main headlines is the new normal and that has brought to life a new genre called Digital Journalism. This division of journalism focuses on the understanding of the most rudimentary elements that build up journalism along with developing production and optimisation skills. The emphasis is on the development of digital social skills that are elementary to pursue a career in the field of digital journalism.
Anyone who aspires to become a digital journalist must have good communication skills, critical thinking and quick problem-solving skills. One should be able to gather information from various sources on the internet and should be familiar with social media platforms.
The difference between digital or Online Journalism and traditional journalism lies mainly in the fact that editorial content is distributed through the online medium of internet as opposed to being published or broadcast as in traditional journalism. As it is in traditional journalism, the prospects of a career in Digital journalism are huge. It can start from becoming a field reporter where one has to gather news and information in a particular genre or beat and can rise to a higher rank in the editorial field.
The opportunities in Online Journalism are as varied as in traditional journalism. A digital journalist can choose to report in any field like news, education, entertainment, medical or any other beat of their choice. Due to its widespread reach, digital news reaches more people at the same time and at a fast pace. Online news is always updated in real-time which makes it more appealing to viewers. A reader is always up to date with the latest updates on important events happening across the world without waiting to read it in the newspaper the next morning. The penetration of digital medium is also much higher as internet costs have reduced quite a bit in this competitive market. This makes it cheaper than buying newspaper or subscribing to a particular TV channel.
Digital journalism is a more interactive medium and it allows readers or viewers to share their opinion on the portal itself. This helps the journalist to gauge public sentiment and opinion about any particular news or event. This brings the journalist closer to the reader or viewer through this medium Several prestigious institutions in India and abroad have dedicated courses for the field of Digital Journalism.
Vijay GarG, retired principal. GMR, Malout.