Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Edulink Assignment - New Media vrs Traditional Media

The new media that generates the social media makes ordinary citizen's journalists. However, and inspite of its advantages and potentials, the new media can and does compliment the traditional media in various ways. The new media development has been said to be a graduation or a further development on the traditional media of communication. For instance, the telephone was a dramatic improvement on telegraphy and telegram. Both worked together in tandem. In the same way mobile phones are an upgraded version of traditional phones. Both are still relevant and still work together to enhance human communication.
For journalists, this is a blessing. When both traditional and new media work are available working tools, they enable the journalist work efficiently, effectively and competently, thereby giving the journalist satisfactory work output.
The new media however can pose a slight threat to the workings of journalism. The threat is minimal because the new media enables the ordinary citizen to collect, collate, process and disseminate information easily. However, the professional work needs to be done by trained personnel who appreciate the ethics involved in journalism and information dissemination. The threat posed by the current new media is the same that was generated when the telephone and telegrams were invented. It was argued that they would pose a threat to journalism and news dissemination.
Ghana has been praised as the pillar of hope and freedom on the African continent. And the former President of Ghana, President J. A. Kuffour has been highly praised and acknowledged at instrumental in maintaining the freedoms of expression and democracy in that country. The Head of Journalism of the Rhodes University in South Africa, Guy Berger, heaped these praises on Ghana and the former President at the opening of the World Journalism Education Congress and the Highway Africa Conference in South Africa today.
Mr. Kuffour was present to receive this praise to overwhelming applause. The former President, a virtual globetrotter to conferences and congresses has been recognised world wide has a leader in the maintainance and sustenance of peace and democracy in Ghana. He was elected to office in 2000 and re-elected by a large majority of Ghanaian for further 4 years. He has led Ghana for years maintaining a liberal democratic environment, a vibrant freedom of speech that enable the media landscape in Ghana to grow. Presently, Ghana enjoys one of the largest and vibrant media market especially in radio and television. There are over 120 radio stations and television cable stations.
The WJEC and Highway Africa is one of the largest grouping of journalism educationists in the world.