Smartphone users constantly have access to news right at their fingertips. A person does not have to put in much effort to be an informed citizen thanks to ever-evolving journalism techniques and platforms. Although this is the case, technology also hinders journalism and the way it is presented to its consumers.
While there is both good and bad that comes along with digital news sharing platforms being available to the public, there is no denying that these platforms make news available to many more people than ever before.
Major news providers with digital platforms like CNN, Fox and the Huffington Post all have websites and mobile apps for smart phones which make it easier to have the news in the most convenient way possible, but today the fastest way to receive news is via social media.
Lately, there has been a trend of news coverage being integrated into more social platforms such as Twitter, Snapchat, and Facebook.
Twitter was launched in July of 2006 calling itself “a window to the world” where users could get “real-time updates about what matters to [them].” This platform has become ideal for journalists with breaking news stories.
Journalists can use Twitter for fast facts or find the stories they need. This shows just how key Twitter can be for modern-day journalists if it is used the right way. Unfortunately, it is not always used the way it should be. Many times, people forget to fact check and, instead, take tweets in the moment to make a large story that is not always true.
In a world where anyone with a mobile phone and a Twitter account can tell news just as quickly as any breaking news reporter, it becomes harder to discern truth from attention-seeking rumors. Social media like this gives anyone with the right technology the ability to be an on-scene reporter, but that is the problem.
While there is always the risk of getting facts wrong while breaking news, that risk is increased when the everyday people “reporting” do not have the training to do so.
While Twitter does make it easier to receive news, its users must be weary of the possibility of reading incorrect facts or completely false news. Because of the easy accessibility of Twitter, incorrect news can be released carelessly with little to no repercussions for the person who posted the false statement.
On the visual side of the social media spectrum, Snapchat has also joined in on the news telling bandwagon. Snapchat Discover was introduced to the public on January 27, 2015. The idea behind the release was to give consumers “a new way to explore Stories from different editorial teams as the result of collaboration with world-class leaders in media to build a storytelling format that puts the narrative first.” On their website, the Snapchat team is sure to point that the new feature “is not social media,” although the overall Snapchat app is, in fact, the definition of social media.
The Discover function now includes many different content contributors including major news sources and media brands such as CNN, ESPN, Vice, and Vox. Snapchat has created a platform for these brands to thrive within their broad reach.
Where Twitter is a aimed towards words and Snapchat is aimed towards visual media, Facebook weaves together both text, photo, and video to create an all-encompassing social media platform.
Facebook allows users to like, comment and even share posts that their friends create, as well as create their own. A large part of this platform involves users sharing opinions and many times news they find interesting or significant.
Facebook is the ideal site for sharing news and getting responses, but it controls where a majority of its readers receive their content by providing suggested articles along with site-promoted articles throughout a user’s personal feed.
Similar to Twitter, there is the possibility of inaccuracy being shared amongst Facebook users. Many times articles from the satirical site The Onion are shared by gullible people reacting to flashy headlines. When people fail to fact check and believe the first thing they see, problems arise.
According to Facebook’s website, as of November 5, 2015, Facebook had a total of 1.55 billion monthly active users. This makes Facebook the widest reaching social media source, and one of the most important sources for sharing the news. Nowhere else can people so readily share their opinions and have others respond immediately on such a wide scale.
Social media was not created as a news-sharing platform; however, it has become instrumental in keeping people informed today. The news was not always something people could easily respond to without having to write a letter to the editor at a newspaper or post comments on a certain story within the news-sharing website.
Now, people can share news important to them on their personal accounts and start conversations with their friends or followers. This development has completely changed the face of journalism and the way consumers receive and react to the news.
