Is social media news? How could it not be?!

Katie Smith Ks185807@ohio.edu

For more than a couple of years now people have been debating whether or not social media is a legitimate news source, but my question has always been a little different: How could it not be?!

There are valid arguments describing the concern for lack of credibility and expertise involved in social media news, but more often than not social media websites break the news faster and reach more people than traditional news outlets. In a blog by Erin Everhart Webster describes journalism

as “the researching, reporting, and writing of news and information that appeals to popular taste.” Everhart then describes journalism as “telling people’s stories, about adding narrative and insight into peoples lives.” This argument supports the idea that stories are told through social media ever day. Does it matter that these stories come across in 500-word blog posts, or 3-line Facebook updates, or 140-character tweets?

Another argument to take into consideration when talking about social media news is the way companies are using it to reach their consumers. An article on socialmediaintelligence.com describes that 42% of shoppers have ‘followed’ a retailer through Facebook, Twitter or a retailer’s blog, and the average person follows about six retailers. Most people said they were looking to find good deals, but they also wanted to be kept up-to-date on future offers. This proves that companies are catching on to the idea that social media can help sales and the bottom line.

No matter what your views are on social media, an article from socialmediatoday.com brings up an excellent point: people are out there and they are talking about your brand. You can choose to ignore the conversation, but it will happen regardless and it will make an impression on your brand. Ignoring social media doesn’t make it go away! It is like a kid shoving all of his toys under the bed and pretending that he cleaned his room. It might work for the time being, but the problem comes when the public or in this case his mother looks under the bed and finds the neglect. This causes the public to lose trust in the brand, and notice the competitors that are using social media effectively.