As the controversy over the recent election in Iran proved, media like YouTube, Twitter and Facebook are playing an increasing role in the world of journalism.

From the latest information on the Iranian election to the constant updates on Michael Jackson’s death, social media is beginning to change the journalism landscape, said Susan Jacobson, associate professor of journalism.

“News organizations were in the position of reading and interpreting the raw stream of information coming out of Tehran,” Jacobson said. “There were reports of the Iranian government creating their own set

of images and videos and reports and adding them to the mix of the material that is coming out of Iran. Now, news organizations need to figure out how to determine who the source of the material is, and that is going to be difficult.”

Cell phones with cameras and other communication devices are also playing a huge role in the way news is transmitted globally.

“The fact that cell phone users in Tehran sent out photos, videos and text reports about events there when the international media could not is a potential game-changer,” Jacobson said.

“Cell phones have penetrated even the poorest areas of Africa and Asia, and the individuals who use cell services as their primary form of communication are very savvy — and often use them in ways that they were not designed for,” she continued.

Tehran was not the first instance of emerging technologies being used to transmit news. Two decades ago, the Tiananmen Square protests participants used FAX machines in help organize the protests that led up to the massacre on June 4, 1989.

In 2007 the Kenyan government suppressed reporting of contested presidential election results by suppressing the ability to send out mass cell phone text messages. But, Kenyan citizen journalists were able to get around the government-imposed block by using Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter and other services to communicate with their neighbors and the outside world.

“It’s increasingly difficult for governments, who have an impulse to control communication, to be able to do so,” Jacobson said.

Susan Jacobson is a full-time faculty member in the Dept. of Journalism at Temple University. Her research interests include the impact of technology on the field of journalism. To see her current work, visit her blog at http://susanjacobson.livejournal.com or follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/susanjacobson.