Effects of social media on traditional journalism discussed

Participants in a Working Group on ‘Can established news platforms survive social media’ stressed that the traditional journalism will continue to fulfil its mission despite the competition it faces from social media.
The speakers presented approaches on traditional information and benefits contained in the traditional journalism, and their effects on readers.
The session moderator was Dominique Pradalie, Secretary-General of the National Journalists Union in France.
In her presentation the Chair of the IFJ regional group in Latin America Zuliana Lainez asserted  that social media will not replace traditional journalism, but it will make journalists more eager to provide good content to excel on social media.
She said that journalists should practice self-criticism, scrutinise their work, and ensure that the information and news they publish is correct in order to restore readers’ confidence in traditional journalism, stressing that the role of the journalist is not the transfer of information as it is, but they must verify its authenticity, as those who uncovered many of the major corruption cases in many countries of the world are professional journalists.
Lainez added that journalists suffer from a problem which is that social media websites have become sources of their information, indicating that readers have lost confidence in social media because of the lies that are being repeated and promoted, and readers have started returning to traditional journalism because they want to obtain real information that only journalists can provide.
She stressed that we must work to restore the journalists’ dignity and defend strongly this profession.
For his part, the CEO of Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance MEAA Paul Murphy talked about the use of social media as platforms for spreading rumours and lies, especially by politicians and political parties in particular, at a time when journalists find themselves facing such misleading news.
Elena Perotti, Executive Director of Paris-based Media Policy and Public Affairs section of the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, spoke about the old and traditional media and the opportunities for its continuation under the new media and social media, stressing that independent and free media is the only guarantee of freedom of expression and making the press sustainable career.
She described the situation as not easy, especially in light of the reduced advertising income for traditional media, and the loss of the written press during the past ten years to 20 percent of advertising spending, at a time when modern media in the West, such as Google and Facebook, earn huge amounts of advertising and digital advertisements exceeding two-thirds of that available in such a market, pointing out that in this situation, social media has become a real threat to the sustainability of traditional media.
Perotti also discussed the relevant tax, legal and legislative systems and havens for social media and the written press, as well as the credibility and trust in these media and press institutions, both modern and traditional, and quality management in journalistic work.
She also drew attention to the attacks and abuses against journalists by politicians and what they raise against them by disseminating false and misleading information, which necessitates media institutions to verify the facts and the correct information and content, adding that the issue of restoring confidence and dealing with the misleading information crisis and false news includes both digital and traditional media.
Larry Goldbetter, President of the National Writer’s Union in the United States of America, addressed the exploitation of media, especially social media, in the American election campaigns and their extreme effects in attracting voters and directing public opinion, considering that American policy has been incubating digital media and social media for years, noting that stories and misinformation that is published, especially through these means, affects society in its various segments and age groups.
He also reviewed how American politicians and candidates exploit social media to attract voters through organized media campaigns fueled by attacks by electronic bots and the spread of fear and panic in a meaningful way, and talked about one of the issues and topics on which US election campaigns focus at the internal and external levels to attract voters as well as advertising campaigns better designed to bring in donations and mobilize supporters politically via social media.