Internet and Journalism

Is Internet killing Journalism?

 

You can read from here 

http://muckrack.com/daily/2015/02/19/10-ways-the-internet-is-killing-journalism/ . 10 ways the internet is killing journalism. 

However, I think that The internet is another platform for Journalist who can't voice or comments their findings. Take Mexico for example, According to Reporters without Borders (2015), Mexico’s press freedom index is ranked at 148 out of 180 countries in the World Press Freedom Index. The government, drug cartels, and media conglomerates in Mexico control the press freedom there.

Carmen Aristegui, a prominent Mexican radio journalist, fired from her job when she refused to apologize in regards to her comment about Mexico's president possible alcoholism. Eventually, she returned on air after several days of public outcry and extensive communication between her superior and various representatives of the President (Booth, 2011). She was fired again along with two of her colleagues, Daniel Lizarraga, and Irving Huerta. This time, it was due to them “misusing” the radio station’s company logo in support of MéxicoLeaks, which is an independent platform for revealing information in the public interest in Mexico (Franzblau, 2015). Mexican political activist Denise Dresser tweeted that “the crime of Carmen Aristegui was in an attempt to give Mexican citizens through ‘#MexicoLeaks’, a platform to denounce corruption anonymously since she was going to receive tons of complaints they shut her up (Flannery, 2015)”.

José Sánchez and investigate journalist in Veracruz,  founded the La Union, which was a weekly newspaper based in Medellín de Bravo. However, due to the lack of funding, the circumstance forced Sánchez to switch from free print edition to an online-only edition (CPJ, 2015). Also, he is considerably well versed in using Facebook. But He was kidnapped from his house on 2nd January 2015 alone with his computer, camera, and other electronic materials (AJ+, 2015).  His decapitated and dismembered body was found three weeks after his abduction in Veracruz State (CPJ, 2015).

These two examples show how the internet has helped journalists who uphold the purpose of journalism:

1. provide the citizens with accurate and reliable information that they need to be free and self-governing.

2. They act as watchdogs over the government and reflect the range of public opinion as well as the diverse groups and interests in the respective society.

3.Serve as forums in the public realm to trade comments or criticisms

(de Beer & Merrill, 2009, p. 6).