Spanish media facing new media: a challenge to journalists?
- Authors:Enric Castell1 andDavid Domingo2
- Source:International Journal of Iberian Studies,Volume 18, Issue 3,Jul 2005,p.181 - 200
- DOI:https://doi.org/10.1386/ijis.18.3.181_1
- Language:English
- Published online:01 Jul 2005
Abstract
This paper analyses the development of mobile Internet messaging and the opportunities it presents for journalism in Spain. It discusses whether or not a role will emerge for a specialized online journalist and identifiespure journalists andeproduction journalists asthe basic roles in an ideal online media production scenario. SMS (Short Message Service), WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) and MMS (Multimedia Message Service) technologies are discussed as journalistic tools. The authors suggest that new media enable new formats, strategies and productsthat need to be designed by journalists in collaboration with technical and design staff. This position is supported on the case study ofEl da en cinco imgenes (Today in five pictures), an MMS news service offered byLa Vanguardia (a leading Spanish newspaper) and Amena (a Spanishmobile company). Although new technologies pose new challenges for professional newsmaking, the article criticizes technological deterministic approaches to online journalism and argues that the main criteria of traditional journalism are still valid in the new media landscape.

