Giving local a global voice
Now, more than ever, local communities need more than just a story to bring their issues to the fore. A combination of sight, sound and picture is changing that.
In an increasingly digital world, the value of telling a story in various ways is at the core of every newsroom. A service delivery protest in Tembisa might be an issue for residents in the township, but it points to the national issue of municipalities failing to meet the needs of their members.
According to Tech Talk Africa, there are more than 650 million cellphone subscribers in Africa alone, surpassing America’s and Europe’s numbers. This means that news can no longer sit in the confines of text, and needs to be more audio-visual than ever before.
A citizen element to community journalism is what also sets it apart as a unique voice of the people. Much of the video footage from the unrest in Ferguson, America, after the Michael Brown shooting, was largely provided by locals on the ground.
Similarly, updates on how protest during the Middle East’s Arab Spring in 2011 were largely as a result of people sharing their audio and video with media organisations and social network platform.
Closer to home, JoburgToday.tv is angling towards getting many of Johannesburg’s dwellers to tell their own stories in front of its lens, using a local opportunity to take Johannesburg to the rest of the globe.
“JoburgToday.tv is a hyperlocal online content channel with a global attitude,” says Adolf Spangenberg, CEO of BrandTV Media Network PtyLtd, part of the STME Group.
How we consume news has also undergone massive transformation, and is no longer just from radio or on television.
As cellphone usage continues to grow beyond making phone calls and messaging, there’s a world of opportunity in providing news that can be seen, heard and experienced through video and other multimedia.
Now that South Africa is among the 15 largest telecommunication markets in the world, there are many opportunities for video news providers such as JoburgToday.tv to provide Johannesburg and the rest of the world with more than just a snapshot of what happens in and around the city. Watch their latest video below.
