Stuffed Invisible Pink Unicorn

NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND NEW EVANGELISM

Bogotá - Colombia

Continental Meeting Catholic Press
organized by CELAM

"No doubt that the electronic revolution holds the promise of great positive breakthroughs for the developing world, but there is also the possibility of worsening actually existing inequalities by widening the gap of information and communications. How can we ensure that the revolution in information and communications, having his first engine on the internet, globalization promotes the development and solidarity of man, objectives closely linked to the evangelizing mission of the Church? "

John Paul II,
World Communications Day 2002

Digital Divide, a pastoral challenge
Admittedly, the temptation to speak of new communication technologies, can blind us to very specific situations in our continent.

illiteracy, lack of basic necessities, including lack the most basic forms of communication such as telephone or services such as electricity , water, etc., make the Latin American scene playing constantly move the ends.

who work in the world of social communications, the press, information, advertising, public relations, graphic design, we must not let the "light" of the new technologies of communication, "I blind" the overall view of the reality with which we communicate.

However, we face a challenge of ethical and moral connotations, if you give bread to the hungry or to include the excluded and hope that you can not see a clear horizon.

The answer in my view is to assume the "talent" available to us and exploit the charisma with which to professionally serve the Catholic community. The Catholic Church in particular has its social arm in the Pastoral Social Caritas, which is responsible for raising human development of the People of God, however, as the pastoral communication extend the knowledge and use of old and - especially - new communication tools are also restoring dignity to those who are marginalized and excluded from citizenship to which all are entitled.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, new president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (www.pccs.it), the Vatican's Pontifical Council I represent at this meeting, constantly emphasizes that Christians are called to be deacons new digital culture, is say, be bold proclaimers of the Good News of Jesus Christ in different contexts and realities we know, one of which is precisely the virtual space is a reality created by people who communicate through computers and sophisticated artifacts, people with different interests (social, political, economic, spiritual, ideological ...) can influence public opinion and training of citizens.


New technologies, a pastoral opportunity

- chat (instant messaging)
- free phone calls (or semi-free)
- blogs
- face book, hi5, my space
- youtube
- wiki
- flirck, pikas
- google maps

are the new instruments that use the Internet by way of electricity, say that the question whether to use or not use, or how to use the Internet, has already been surpassed. Well - today - the Internet is like electricity with which we have changed our habits and ways of living.

To understand the backdrop of new communication technologies (also Call Ringtone ICT) could take a look at the short history of Internet, and divide its evolution in three stages, clarifying that it is a division from a economic and business benefits that were persecuted, but indicates the relationship and interaction of users with the network of networks.

1. The first runs from 1997 to March 2000 in which Web sites began to multiply and users seeking information and content.

2. A second phase, also known as the bubble burst, "which runs from March 2000 until late 2002 when he triggered a crisis in large corporations that supported and encouraged the spread of the Internet and re use , since "companies had to admit that the visits could not translate directly into economic profit"

3. The third stage, the present, began in late 2002, has to do with the new way of viewing the Internet not as an extensive library, but as a great conversation Web 2.0 is where companies are investing to increase their revenues and profits. Where it has become apparent convergence of the media in computerized form and distributed through the network.

"Web 2.0 is an attitude not a technology"

The term Web 2.0 was coined in 1994 by Tim O'Reilly - who also is the phrase I just mentioned - to refer to a second generation of Web based communities of users and a special range of services, like social networks, blogs or wikis, which promote cooperation and swift exchange of information among users.

We can cite some of the characteristics of Web 2.0 is the following:

• a participatory Web.
• content from users for users, that is constructed as (tags, positioning on the Web, page ranking ...)
• faith in the "collective intelligence"
• based social networks (communities of people grouped by themes)
• shared content
• is designed as a platform: I meet other people

Web 2.0 by definition is the ability to make the Web user interacts with a previously static and lifeless. Emerging applications now engage thousands of users with the ability to make them participants in the project.

the Web is the one about the user and not the user to the Web. Lists, blogs, readers definable "tailored" approach, periodically, information, sites, notes, that would be difficult or burdensome access otherwise. Searching the Web, which retained a certain character digital and analog, acquired in Web 2.0. automation rational and selected.

For this, the user must register 2.0, define parameters, reading forms, download programs and use the new tools of the Internet.


The Catholic press in this new context

If we accept that we are part of digital culture, we would not have trouble admitting that we live in an age of information, ie a society where the new element power is the control of information, where access or exclusion of this information determines the new forms of marginalization and poverty in society.

regard Document Aparecida mentioned:

"A crucial factor in these changes is the science and technology, with its ability to genetically manipulate the life of living beings, and their ability to create a network of global communications both public and private, to interact in real time, ie simultaneously with, despite the geographical distances. As they say, history has accelerated and become dizzying changes themselves, since they communicate with great speed all over the world. " (DA34)

Throughout the exposed context and reflected in these days the Catholic press meeting, would further discuss the presence of a medium (our media) on the Internet as a question of this type would be comparable to the question whether or not we want to communicate.

One characteristic of digital culture - a result of new communication technologies - is the possibility that ordinary users make its voice heard, amplified through the network, the specific case of journalism city she found in the Web 2.0 great ally.
Finding a news or access to information is no longer a problem because through the digital media not only can access the written information, but we can hear or view the information in the field of journalism. Is the specific case of major newspapers, which are converging digital version not only the text of the news, but videos or audio files.

In this context, and digital journalism, one wonders why and how we report in an environment where it seems that I have nothing new to report in the newspaper as it would be a more or less exact copy of some other media or news agency is guided by the desire for immediacy.

One way to answer this question - which is not the most appropriate response - is to anticipate events, and almost predict the facts. However, we could be more rational if we claim that the press today - Catholic or not - is irreplaceable (in the words of Professor Javier Dario Restrepo) to analyze, read and interpret reality, seeking to influence public opinion. Thus, the problem of the press is not what but how to report information. A good analyst can provide certain situations and events.

Criteria and rules for digital journalism

I want to end our reflection on this the new technologies of communication and journalism, solidifying on digital journalism criteria applicable to our own Catholics. Volume

reference to the BBC, which continues to school in the field of digital journalism, could point out some criteria when producing the information, and also showed some rules of journalism.

The information must be provided:

- Fairness: facts and ideas reflect a balanced and impartial.
- Accuracy: Get the correct data sources, verification.
- Transparency: fair treatment. Respect for peoples and cultures.
- Disclaimer: Respect for the audience with worthy content.
- Independence: Beyond the political and commercial pressures.


The 15 rules of the BBC to make digital journalism

1. produce the information according to the needs of the audience
2. The best websites make only one thing and specialize in this
3. Use external links and not redo what already exists
4. If you have mistakes, accept them and do everything possible to correct them as soon as possible
5. Designing Web as a platform ( Web 2.0), be aware that your website is not the only
6. web design as a conversation
7. the best Web site could become the worst. The quality standards used for all Web sites.
8. sure the content will have a permanent link that will be easily found.
9. A new user of these new technologies may have different needs than yours.
10. make every effort to ensure the website is good possessions in Internet search engines, via tags, dates, places, etc ...
11. sure that the user does not miss on our Web sites, and for that Web site design can help, even if they are different sites must be some common design indicates that you are still on the site.
12. Accessibility is essential. Do not make pages too heavy.
13. Encouraging users to "be" part of your site with them, so they can return, for example: rss, links, maps ...
14. Having a clear policy on participation, for example in discussions that could affect the image of the site.
15. Dealing with data carefully to what people involved in the site, trying not to be invadente, but elegant and transparent.

Just

Ariel Beramendi
justoariel@hotmail.com