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Morung Express News
Dimapur | July 23
The medium through which news and information is consumed may have changed with the emergence of new media, however credibility is still a major factor for media consumers, according to responses to the weekly poll conducted by The Morung Express from July 16 to 23.
Responses to the question “What media platform do you use most frequently as daily news source? Give Reasons,” indicated that social/digital media, with wider reach and quick access, appears to have stepped in as the popular source of news for at least 67 percent of the respondents, while 27 percent said they relied on newspapers. Just 4 percent of respondents preferred to consume news through TV and 2 percent through radio.
Among those who preferred social/digital media, a respondent viewed that through this medium, one “gets information much faster than other means and also receives information anytime and anywhere.”
Another commented that “Most media outlets are manipulated and controlled. For that reason, I skim through various news channels in YouTube and subscribe (to) the ones that seem unbiased. I want media that is honest.”
‘Reliable and verified news’
Interestingly, the most common reason given by the respondents to justify their choice was the quality and credibility of news acquired from their preferred medium.
In this context, a respondent commented that the newspapers in Nagaland are still the best source for “reliable and verified news,” adding that “the other mediums still have a long way to go as far as news is concerned.”
“Definitely newspaper when it comes to verified and authentic news. Of course social and digital media has a much wider reach but when it comes to news, they miss the point. It is more noise than news,” another respondent opined.
Another respondent stated that “newspaper prints can be maintained as proof, so they give quality,” however, they viewed that “TV and radio media is in control mostly big family political parties so they keep spreading false news in favour of their parties only.”
Room for improvement
Referring to the quality of news and information on various platforms, a respondent commented that there is a lot of “market gossips and opinions” on social media while TV has “immature and incomplete news.”
“In newspapers you will read news that still has a lot of room for improvement, but news that has been gathered by experienced hands,” the respondent maintained, while underscoring that “Media in Nagaland still has a lot of catching up to do.”
Similarly, another respondent commented; “With the new media blooming newspaper have an opportunity to do things differently. No one can deny that when it comes to real news, nothing beats newspapers. Our local newspapers must see this as an opportunity to do real in-depth stories.”
In terms of TV news, a respondent commented that the medium “has best potential to grow because it is real time news.” The respondent stated that it is good to see television expanding in Nagaland, but lamented the quality of news, terming it as “far below standard.”
“It looks like most of the people in the two TV channels of Nagaland are not trained journalists… The owners of the TV channels should invest in well trained reporters who follow reporting ethics. At the moment we have too many YouTubers and Facebook group admins who have been given the responsibility of creating news for the channels. At this rate their credibility will go out,” the respondent continued.
