Information gathering these days is in real time as opposed to the old days of waiting for information to flow through a gatekeeper such as a reporter, editor, producer, public relations practitioner, or a supervisor, etc. who decides how that message will be packaged for human consumption. In fact, society no longer has to wait for information. It can be consumed at the blink of an eye and it’s available right at your fingertips on the internet. People can connect and engage in interconnectivity in ways that were never imagined a short while ago. Technology has certainly taken its place at the center of our daily engagement.

Yes, in this wired/wireless global environment of the 21st Century, digital technology offers so many uses and gratifications for consumers that traditional media (newspapers, magazines, radio, and television) finds itself fighting for its livelihood as a result of the competition of the Internet. People are packaging, distributing, and consuming so much information to the extent that newspapers and magazines are folding and broadcast media is trying to reinvent itself on a daily basis in its quest to find a web presence. The ability to reach a global mass of people through technology is astounding. Packaging and distributing information in a wired/wireless environment is becoming an art. Besides mass media entities and corporations seeking new ways to package and distribute information, churches have even discovered this new media of social networking as a means to communicate with their congregations through Twitter and inspirational “tweets.”

While the internet provides so many avenues for information dissemination and retrieval, it is important that some guidelines of old technology stay in place to ensure the information packaged and received is authentic. There are rules and responsibilities that still must be upheld. In the past, it was easy for traditional media to be tracked because the information flowed through a linear process. Information was developed by an originator who packaged a message, sent it through some medium or channel, and the audience received it. That process doesn’t exist anymore because information can originate from anywhere. It is increasingly more difficult to trace the origin of information today, not to mention sifting through all the information to discover what is true or not. Blogging has become a part of mainstream media and sometimes it’s difficult to ascertain the originator. Don’t accept everything on the internet as fact. Some information is just copied and pasted from other sites. You have to check and double check your sources. Of course, that is not the case with Women that Network. It’s authentic!

As society continues to embrace the internet as a main source for information, the transmission of consciousness and culture become prevalent and meet at the intersection. However, there is no need for a crash or clash at this chasm of consciousness and culture. Knowledge is power. Old media and communication models gave us an understanding of libel, defamation, truth, accuracy, ethics and integrity. New social media and networking sites must strive to embrace these hallmarks and keep them close to the heart and human beings must still apply appropriate codes of behavior to the internet. Although the rules of the road on the internet are not clear, there is a clear understanding of what’s right and what’s wrong. Choose wisely!

About The Author: Dr. Dhyana Ziegler

Dr. Lady Dhyana Ziegler is Professor of Journalism at Florida A&M University. From 1998-2007, she served as the Assistant Vice President for Instructional Technology and Academic Affairs. From 2006-2007 she also served as the Interim Director of the Office of International Education and Development. Dr. Ziegler came to FAMU in 1997 after she was selected as the Garth C. Reaves Eminent Scholar Chair of Excellence in Journalism. Prior to that appointment, she served as Professor of Broadcasting at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville as well as the Associate Director for Diversity Resources and Educational Services. Dr. Ziegler is the first and only African-American to be elected President of the University of Tennessee-Knoxville Faculty Senate and later was a charter inductee into the University’s African-American Hall of Fame.

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