









































Communication, Society and Media 
ISSN 2576-5388 (Print) ISSN 2576-5396 (Online) 

Vol. 2, No. 1, 2019 
www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/csm 

56 
 

Original Paper 

Journalism and Convergence 
Carolyne M. Lunga1* 

1 Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, Manzini, Eswatini 
* Carolyne M. Lunga, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Eswatini, 

Manzini, Eswatini 

 

Received: January 27, 2019    Accepted: February 14, 2019   Online Published: February 22, 2019 

doi:10.22158/csm.v2n1p56                     URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.22158/csm.v2n1p56 

 

Abstract 

The internet’s influence on the production and consumption of news has brought about revolutionary 

changes in the field of journalism. The people previously known as the “audiences” are now actively 

involved in creating and disseminating news via online news sites and websites. This increase in 

players has both positive and negative consequences for democracy.  

This paper provides an overview of the positive and negative changes that have come about due to 

convergence. Through an observation of what is happening on various online sites and journalists’ 

everyday experiences, the paper offers an analysis of the impact globally. On a positive side, for 

example, citizens are engaging in conversations online with journalists and also with each other on 

various social platforms on issues that matter to them. The internet is applauded for promoting the 

number of voices online and freedom of expression. On a negative side, citizens bemoan the rise in fake 

news and disinformation which is harmful for democracy and is discrediting journalism. Journalism is 

fundamental as it influences society’s worldview. It thus becomes paramount for media houses and 

society to be more digital literate so as to distinguish between “real” and “fake” news in order to make 

more informed decisions. 

Keywords 

online journalism, convergence, democracy, social media, fake news, media ethics 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



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1. Introduction 

The field of journalism is undergoing tremendous change due to convergence of media technologies. 

From sub Saharan Africa to Europe and the United States, news boundaries have been broken as events 

take on a transnational shape. The evolution of the fixed deadline into a continuous one now guides 

journalists as events are updated 24/7 online. The abundance of information online comes with its own 

negatives and positives for citizens, media organisations and democracy. 

 

2. Method 

2.1 Observation of Online News Sites 

This paper offers an overview of the positive and negative changes that have come about due to 

convergence, the integration of print, broadcast and internet while posing some questions. Convergence 

impacts on how citizens and media organizations create, consume and disseminate information. This 

paper was produced based on observation of what is happening on various online news sites and social 

media and journalists’ everyday experiences.   

 

3. Result 

Social media has become integral in journalists’ everyday work altering the ways in which they gather 

news, link with their sources and publish their stories (Heinrich, 2011). Reporters get news ideas from 

profiles of prominent people. From Facebook to Twitter, Instagram to Snapchat, Flickr to Delicious and 

Reddit among other social networking platforms including blogs, the web is flooded with a multiplicity 

of perspectives which journalists use to give their stories context. The “personal” and sensational thus 

dominate the news space, as the private and public co-exist online (Papacharissi, 2002). 

The decentralization of the internet, non-linearity in information production and flow, the plurality of 

information are some of the advantages of the internet on communication (McNair, 2009). Media 

organizations across the world compete to want to be the first ones to break a story. “Stories break at 

the speed of light, circling the globe instantly via the internet” thus overcoming space and time 

constraints (Pavlik, 2000, p. 231). Events are consumed online in real time, in video, audio and text. 

However, ethical principles such as verification, accuracy and truth are brought into question as the 

notion of what is news has become problematic (Mutsvairo, 2016). 

Events are experienced in real time giving editors a little opportunity for gatekeeping (Otufodunrin, 

2017) which can be advantageous to citizens who are exposed to a wide range of voices and 

information. Mainstream media are flooded with triviality and gossip and very little analytical stories 

on politics and the economy (Gant, 2007). Questions about the role of the media in a democratic 

society are being asked as society is looking for truth in order to make important decisions about their 

lives. 



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4. Discussion 

Pessimists decry a situation in which “fake news”, trivialities and gossip are dominating online, which 

they say has detrimental effects to democratic processes. They argue how in the abundance of 

information, people are less informed and thereby unable to make more informed decisions about their 

future.  

On the other hand, optimists celebrate the internet and social media in extending the platform for 

participation especially by people whose voices were marginalized on mainstream media such as 

“opposition” voices, women, gays among others what Fraser (1992) refers to as co-existing publics or 

counter-publics. As (Moyo, 2011, p. 1) argues, “digitization has occasioned new counter-hegemonic 

spaces and new forms of journalism that are deinstitutionalized and deprofessionalised, and whose 

radicalism is reflected in both form and content”. For example, more hashtag movements are seen on 

social media when these social groups freely express themselves and confront their abusers. The “text 

messaging generation” which brought down Estrada in the Phillipines is being witnessed globally 

(Shirky, 2011). For example in 2014, society witnessed the #bringbackourgirls campaign. The #metoo 

and #menaretrash are examples of online movements of 2018 that gained a lot of support offline. The 

issue of how much success they brought is however debatable. These “new” watchdogs of society have 

come about due to the internet which extends the platform. More scandals, theft, and corruption by 

public officials and people in the lower echelons of society are being exposed. Personal gadgets such as 

smartphones and tablets are dominated by user-generated content through various news websites that 

have mushroomed and some of them include “fake news”.  

With the rise of fake news, the more the call for verification of information is being made to those in 

the business of producing and disseminating information for journalistic purposes. But more so to 

people previously called the audiences in order to ascertain the authenticity of such information. The 

journalistic space has now more players and there has never been a time in history when there was so 

much information surrounding us. Audiences, who for a long time, just consumed news have become 

active players in the news production process (Fancher, 2009; Ludtke, 2009; Mutsvairo, 2016). But 

more importantly citizens are looking for truth and this brings emphasis on the ethical principles that 

have and continue to guide professional journalism and also rendering it respectable.  

It is no longer enough for journalists to know how to craft stories only. The 21st century journalist has 

to be able to do more including taking pictures, recording videos and being able to edit them and tell 

stories in the most engaging ways in order to take advantage of multimodality. Journalists have to be 

more experienced, knowledgeable on top of acquiring new skills as stories are being done in concert 

with citizens (Otufodunrin, 2017; Fancher, 2009). Journalists should be able to fact check stories and 

distinguish themselves from the inexperienced, untrained individuals who engage in journalism. More 

people prefer entertainment than being informed (Gant, 2007). Can we safely say that we are at the 



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height of a new democratic dispensation? Is the internet extending the space for participation? 

Questions of access, inequality and power still remain central in Africa as some people still do not have 

access to mobile phones and the internet (Mudhai et al., 2009). What kind of democracy is it where 

governments move onto online platforms to control the internet? Some even go to the extent of shutting 

down the internet totally in order to cut off communication with the international world when there are 

protests and unrest. On the other side, the same head of states and government officials set up Facebook 

and Twitter accounts in order to engage citizens directly on issues that affect them in various parts of 

the world. The story goes on and on. 

What then is the future of the news media? What measures should media organizations put in place in 

order to safeguard the credibility of journalism? There is a pressing need for society to be more digital 

literate in order to consume news online more critically. Media organizations and journalists need to 

strengthen their ethical policies when it comes to doing journalism online and invest in fact checking. 

Journalists need to realize that society looks up to them to sift “real” from “fake” news and not 

participate in the sharing and liking of stories whose origins are unknown so as to provide society with 

credible information.  

 

Acknowledgement 

Thanks to all journalists whom I work with who are still passionate about providing credible news and 

leveraging on the influence of convergence to promote a more free and critical citizenry. 

 

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