Social Media: The “New Journalism”
By Dayanara Analuisa
The definition of news has changed with the introduction of social media, and whether or not it is beneficial is questionable. Social media can have a powerful effect on its audience and is more prominent in the digital world.
Social media outlets like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram connects people and brings friends closer together with a simple click of a button.
However, being able to connect to other people isn’t enough anymore to allow social media to take over our lives. Due to the crucial impact it has, social media is the new place to receive news and to find out what is happening in the world. This outcome strengthens the hold social media has on us and emotionally tethers their audience.
The problem arises is when people are too dependent on social media and blindly trust these outlets. Journalism as a craft has transformed due to the influence of social media because fake news is far too accessible.
According to “We need more Alternatives to Facebook,” Brian Bergstein discusses the issues that Facebook is associated with and the dangers it can have on their audience. “At its worst, it oversimplifies important topics and pushes us towards extremes,” Bergstein explains. Most social media outlets are guilty of pushing certain opinions on others while only grazing some of the facts.
In certain places in the world, social media sites are the main source of news which can lead to the formation of opinions that are one-sided. Due to the fact that news on social media isn’t always accurate, people aren’t getting the full story. Opinions can arise from this false story which is a bigger problem than just being misinformed.
While social media can provide benefits to journalism, it can cause more difficulty not only for journalists but for the audience to understand what is true. This sense of trust is now violated because people cannot be certain of what is accurate in this new digital world. This is often ignored due to the accessibility and entertainment we gain but it can lead to a much bigger problem in the future.
