ABSTRACT
The integration of technology into every sphere of human existence has given rise to new habits that are having a direct impact on the relationships between the media and consumers. Media audiences are no longer satisfied with assuming a passive role; they are interested in getting involved and having the option of participating in the entire news production process, in new media newsmaking experiences such as crowdsourcing. Equally, content can now be distributed via any of the new platforms now available and accessed via an equally varied range of consumer devices and media have rushed to add features that facilitate proactive reader engagement to their online editions. Throughout the transformative changes they have undergone over the past two decades, the media have attempted to strike a balance between the classic values of journalism and the realities of a vastly altered news ecosystem. News media demonstrated an early interest in the potential of devices such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and delivery technologies such as short messaging service (SMS) and multimedia message service (MMS). Since that time, the extension of 3G, 4G and other data networks and the popularisation of smartphones has led to the development of downloadable news apps. The portability of mobile devices and the explosion in mobile internet signal coverage have paved the way for on-the-spot citizen coverage of local events of interest to mass audiences elsewhere. Mobile technology has undoubtedly transformed newspapers into multiplatform products that users are now consuming in one or more of a broad variety of ways.
