Digital Media: A Step Up for Asian Journalism

In every waking moment, there is breaking news to be discovered. What was this day's newspaper's printed headline can actually be wrong when it hits the news stands. With the constant flow and neck-breaking speed of multiple events happening on every second, there is a need for a venue to address these “new news”.

This is particularly true for Asian journalism. Most Asian countries, especially those belonging to the 3rd world country label, need to have their news updated in a fast, concise manner. Thankfully, with the advent of the Internet, instant messaging and social networking sites, Asian news have spread out far and wide.

A popular site for the latest Asian news is – surprisingly – Twitter. Several Asian news publications, journalists and other media personalities have set up their own Twitter accounts. Everything comes in real time, a single tweet or line of text can mean a lot. By simply following on an individual, you can get the latest news, straight from the source themselves.

For a more formal, traditional journalistic type of writing, several Asian newspaper publications have already set up their own websites. What makes the websites stand out from traditional newspapers are the forums. Readers can comment or give feedback instantly once a certain news piece has been published.

Social media networks, just like Twitter, almost work the same. They do have a lot of customization included, such as picture tagging, additional applications, to name a few. Facebook is currently the most common social networking site in Asia, but others such as Tumblr, are joining in the fray.

Blogs are also a common source of news in Asia. They come in various niches and topics, some of which focuses on one major theme. From factual event reports, first-person analyses on events, almost every kind of news coverage can be found in blogs.

The great thing about digital journalism is it can be accessed almost everywhere. As compared to a physical print publication, all you need is to be connected to the Internet, and you're off getting the freshest and latest news.

Though traditional journalism purists may frown upon digital journalism, one can't deny the growth and need of fast, up-to-date news. With this kind of progressive technology, anyone can be a journalist – and with Asians, it's a step up to spreading information. It's a window to the world, a statement for a virtual audience. It's a landmark for Asia to share its view to everyone.