The USF College of Art and Sciences (CAS) held a panel discussion on the challenges 21st century media faces and how news can meet modern community needs so that it reaches new generations of information consumers.
Alex Mahadeven (right) talks with Julia Saad (left) and Aya Diab (middle) (Photo by Corey Lepak)
Julia Saad, a senior mass communications student and news editor of The Oracle, moderated the discussion, which was co-sponsored by the Center for Sustainable Democracy and the Humanities Institute.
Panelists included Alex Mahadevan, director of MediaWise at the Poynter Institute, and Aya Diab, a USF communication doctoral student and Tampa Bay Times journalist.
The discussion, “The Future of News: Challenges and Opportunities for a 21st Century Media System,” was held April 2 at C.W. Bill Young Hall.
“[The panelists] are engaging in the very difficult work of ensuring communities get quality information and that is what sustains democracies and ensures that people have the necessary tools to make informed decisions,” said Dr. Joshua Scacco, associate professor in the Department of Communication and director of the CSD.
The panelists emphasized how a changing media landscape means changes in how news is shared, especially as social media use rises and attention spans decrease.
“You have to be really engaging at first [with media]. Now, in terms of how to stay factual and tell the whole story in 30 seconds, that is very hard,” explained Mahadaven. “The majority of misinformation out there starts because people are only consuming 10 seconds of a video and you cannot tell the entire context or entire story of what’s happening in 10 to 30 seconds. Our challenge, your challenge, as an audience editor is essentially to try to break up the story into bits and pieces.”
Both panelists agree, treating engaging and easy-to-consume content is going to be key for the future of media.
Students attending the event were able to fulfill the opportunity for rigorous debate as mandated by the State of Florida Civics Literacy graduation requirement. (Photo by Corey Lepak)
“One of the many things that I like about my job is experimenting and being creative,” Diab said. “So, for example, if I’m covering a story about real estate and it has a geographical element to it, I try to visualize that in a map instead of telling people—ok, here’s a block of text that no one wants to read.”
Mahadaven added that user-generated content and the rise of artificial intelligence are other factors molding a new media landscape.
He also added that while new media has allowed for the spread of information more quickly, it also is quick to spread misinformation much more quickly.
“People will just read the headline and think they have the depth of the story, so, like a like of stuff in the new information age, it cuts both ways,” Mahadaven said.
Learn more about attending future Democracy and Citizenship Series lectures.