Let's face it, whether we like it or not, social media is transcending journalism and the way in which the public consumes news. With print media on the decline, more and more news consumers are getting their daily information online and a huge source for such information is obtained through social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
In a study done by PEW Internet in 2010, some interesting statistics were gathered regarding the ways in which most people get their news.
According to the study, based on a sample of 2,259 adults, the study revealed that 75 percent who find news online get it either forwarded through e-mail or posts on social networking sites, 52 percent forward the news through those means (mashable.com).
This was the case last year. I’d be willing to bet that the role of social media is even stronger now.
I know from my own personal experiences, the whole reason that I made a Twitter in the first place was not to follow Chad Ochocinco (which I do anyway), but to obtain news. By following all of my desired news outlets, I can basically check my Twitter feed and be fed news.
I can find out what’s going on in the world by following CNN. I can find out what’s going on back home by following the Chicago Tribune, and I can follow what’s going on here at Ohio University by following The Post.
As an avid sports fan, I can get all of the latest sports news fed into my Twitter feed, as well as more focused news from my favorite teams.
Since joining Twitter, I’ll admit, the way in which I personally consume news is very different.
Social media isn’t just transcending the way news is obtained, either. It’s also playing a huge role in the way that news outlets break stories. In a world in which many news outlets are making their online product their first priority, it’s interesting to see the big role that social media plays in how news outlets break news.
In the reading from American Journalism Review titled, “Harnessing Social Media,” Lauren McCullough, from the Associated Press talked about the importance of social media in fostering open communication.
"From a journalistic perspective, we're looking to engage with audiences and to create a conversation around the news," she says. "We're looking to bring news consumers into the process, and not just the AP process but to showcase excellent content from our members and customers."
Steve Myers, the managing editor of Poynter Online, also mentions in the reading that news outlets are "trying to have a single person with a personality interact with their audience and sort of solicit feedback and comments from them as well as promote their work. It's definitely a two-way street."
Hopefully my experiences with social media will be adequate enough because more and more employers these days are requesting that applicants be well versed in social media.
As a journalism major in the news writing and editing sequence, it really makes me wonder if I chose the right sequence.
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