Reporting in the Age of Mobile Communication

"Journalism, since the emergence of daily newspapers in the 17th century, has been a dynamically evolving field reshaped by advancements in communication technologies and transportation. While the changes and transformations in journalism have become one of the main subjects in the literature, there are limited studies specifically focused on the profession of reporting. Existing studies generally touch upon the innovations in news production resulting from new communication technologies within the context of general journalistic practices. A loser look into the working areas of reporters, who are the essential subjects in content production in journalism, holds great importance in revealing the comprehensive scope of change and transformation in this field. In this study, it is assumed that the developments in mobile communication technologies have led to changes and differentiation in almost every stage of news organization and production within the field of reporting.
Considering the potential of internet-based information and communication technologies to form a democratic communication platform, it is believed that this new environment, where relationships with news centers and sources are established, will inevitably be influenced by existing political and economic conditions. Another assumption of this study is that in new communication environments offered by mobile communication applications like WhatsApp, which are constantly enhanced with updates and new features, those in control can direct or restrict communication actions. The underlying approach behind these assumptions is the belief that evaluating any technology solely as an independent variable would be insufficient in explaining its place and importance in the development of social, political, economic, and cultural realms, as well as the relationship it forms with the actors in those fields. Therefore, it is believed that examining the relationship between mobile communication technologies and the working areas of reporters in this context can also contribute significantly to the discussion on new communication environments, independent journalism, and democracy.
In his book, after discussing the ecological structure of new communication applications resulting from efforts to overcome the barriers of time and space in the message exchange process between sources and receivers due to developments in mobile communication technologies, the innovations emerging in the context of the profession of reporting are thoroughly evaluated. Transformation in reporting practices is elucidated by examining exemplary applications in each news genre.