Social Media, the 21st Century News Source
In the 21st century, news spreads quickly, especially fake news through the realms of social media.
The news source that the public has been confined to without even realizing it, is social media. Using social media on a daily basis, it is common to see a news article, however how common is it to read the article and fact check it to see if it is true without just reading it and sharing it. Nowadays, it is common to view an article, be surprised by the content and instantly share it with your following without checking if it is even true. This is the process of spreading fake news throughout the 21st century news source, social media.
Twitter is one of the top social media sites that allow the quick spread of news. With news sources having their own accounts to link their stories for their viewers, to the use of hashtags to allow the story to spread quicker. With the top story in all news today, I chose to search for the #Syria. Fox News instantly appeared with their story about a missle that was launched on April 14th.
Also, a tweet that has gone viral regarding a news article on individual’s opinion regarding the attack on Syria.
Twitter is a quick way for the public to see news that is trending, as well as find events that their local community is holding in regards to situations such as #Syria
Not only is Twitter a platform that allows the quick spread of news. Instagram also allows users to use the click of use of a hashtag to see top stories, and posts from the public.
On another note, YouTube allows users to view top stores that are trending, including a live video from the current event going on in Indio, CA — Coachella.
YouTube also holds videos that begin to trend, such as this video from a group of guys that found a gun underwater to help detectives find a weapon that will help them solve the case. This is another way of news spreading, and the consumption of news to be able to
Another type of news — not involving the typical community is celebrity news. This is a news that is very well known for spreading quickly and spreading falsely. A common site known for spreading news regarding celebrities is TMZ. Below is a TMZ article involving the famous singer, Justin Bieber. It claims that he punched a guy in defense of a woman that was being attacked at a Coachella party.
Overall, there are various different types of news. With the world of the internet and social media today, it is bound to spread quickly. Hashtags, and trending pages on social media sites assist in the quick spread of this news. However, is the news that we are spreading true? Many users are unaware if the content is true or not, and it is unlikely for it to be checked for credibility. From Twitter, to YouTube, Instagram and even TMZ, the spread of news on social media is inevitable.