THE INFLUENCE OF NEW MEDIA ON THE WATCHDOG ROLE OF JOURNALISM IN PAKISTAN: MISINFORMATION, CREDIBILITY, AND TWITTER

Abstract

The impact of Twitter on journalism in Pakistan has been unparalleled and has changed the scope of the journalism in the country. The current research attempts to analyze the impact of Twitter on the news reporting and professional interaction of Pakistani journalists. The research examined the professional reporting of journalists using the Twitter platform to post real-time updates and to engage with the audience through collaborative reporting and active reporting of news. Nevertheless, the increasing instances of harassment of journalists and the dissemination of false news constrains the depth of contextual analysis and, in the end, damages public trust and the credibility of the journalists. Unfortunately, the platform Twitter provides journalists who use the site is often misunderstood, which results in the loss of public trust. On the other hand, the study discusses some practices journalists use to evade the challenges in reporting news and provide credibility to their stories. Furthermore, the study provides practices that can be employed to capture the advantages Twitter provides journalists in Pakistan, which enhances the ability to disseminate news in a timely manner, and they include the enhancement of digital literacies that will support fact-checking, collaboration on reporting, and a protective framework that can be utilized to safeguard journalists while using the platform in an interactive manner. Thus, the research highlights the Twitter platform and its ability that can be employed to provide a framework or set of skills that can be utilized to provide the needed accountability in a professional manner in the journalists' ecosystem in Pakistan.