The News and Technology | What Has Changed?
The news industry and journalism as a whole were here long before computers. This almost ancient practice dates back to 59 BC in Rome, where the first newspaper was published. The industry blew up since the invention of the printing press, and it seems to be changing ever so slightly every day in the information age.
For example, news on the internet have become far more popular with consumers than the printed version. That’s a shift in the platform, and it has been going on for a while.
From word-of-mouth to paper news to present-day and the digital revolution, there’s never been more at stake for delivering and consuming reliable news. News APIs are all the rage these days, as they allow us news consumers to access an immense library of news from publishers all across the world.
This article will explore how technology has impacted the world of news and what we can expect in the future.
Technology Has Fundamentally Changed The Way News Are Created
Technology has revolutionized numerous aspects of our lives. The digital revolution of the early 2000s has brought old concepts to new mediums, and the following decade only emphasized it. The news is all around us. But, there is a worrying blend of news, entertainment, and education floating around every corner of the internet.
Back in the day, you had to go into the field and do some research – speaking to many people, analyzing and compiling the vast amount of data, and working through it to create an original piece.
Today, you don’t even have to leave the comfort of your room. Through services such as news APIs, which we will get into later, people can access information seconds after it becomes available, streamlining the process by a considerable margin. Ultimately, the introduction of technology into news brought:
- Faster access to Information
- An endless stream of sources
- Multiple platforms & network choices
- Broader audiences & communities
Aside from practically instantaneous information, people can access a selection of sources, from the comfort of their own home. There are always more than two sides to any story or news piece, and the virtually endless amount of sources serves to simplify the research process.
While journalistic objectivity dictates that news should be as unbiased as possible, in practice, that’s far from the truth. Many journalists and news writers have the choice to present the news in any way they like, and the digital landscape provides a medium to do so. Fake news websites are crawling all around the web, and they’re already getting hit hard by advertisers.
Whatever you chose to say, and however you choose to say it, likely, you’ll always find an audience on the internet. The number of communities that have popped up due to the digital revolution is astonishing, allowing for niche-specific news networks that cater to small but loyal demographics.
The Latest In News Technology
The news technology itself has undergone massive changes. From the days of carving stone to the printing press, no point in time has seen such an influx of new technology into the world of news.
While some argue that this is for the better, others point out that too much technology changes the whole industry into something far more bland, identical, and anemic. Below, we’ll discuss some of the latest techs so that you can decide for yourself.
1# News APIs
News APIs are at the forefront of consumer-orientated news technology. They allow you to search and retrieve any live articles from an enormous selection of publishers and news websites. Furthermore, they will enable you to search for topic-specific news, making sure you’re always up to date on your favorite subjects.
The best news APIs don’t analyze any data that comes their way – they provide it – making them a safe environment for discovering the latest news on your favorite subjects.
2# Auto-Generated News & AI
In the world of news, being first is everything. For a professional human journalist, it might take a couple of hours to cover the latest topic, which could already be too late. Some of the best that the industry has to offer can’t come close to the speed of AI and auto-generated news.
The advancement of AI and machine learning technology has given news networks a fantastic way to pump out quick content through automation. While AI can’t necessarily cover something nearly as well as a human being, they can do it in a fraction of the time – and with some editing, it could be as good and fast as possible.
3# Automatic Editing & Correction
AI and machine learning aren’t only useful for generating the news – they’re also a fantastic tool for editing said news. Programs like Grammarly and HemingwayApp have reached new heights for their outstanding capabilities of making editing fast, efficient, and streamlined.
This complex software detects any possible spelling, grammatical, stylistic, and clarity issues your text/news article might have – and proposes viable solutions. While it’s nowhere near perfect, it’s still a step in the right direction, and it streamlines editing by a considerable margin.
What Does The Future Hold For This Combo?
The combination of technology and news is nowhere near its peak. Who knows which heights news and journalism will reach as a result of technological implementation – the only sure thing is that news will become increasingly automatic, faster, and perhaps even inhuman.
