When it comes to “news,” here’s what I’d pay for (and why).
In a lot of ways, the most important content creators today are not necessarily the ones with bylines on major media sites. They are the individual personalities behind the “at” symbols (@) that masses follow across social media channels. According to a 2018 Pew Research Center study, 68% of Americans get their news from social media. This includes “news” that has trickled down from media organizations to the interpretation of public figures with only blue check credentials. I am one of those Americans. I get the majority of my news updates from my timelines, and hope for the best #nofilter.
Although most of the news spread on social media can still be traced back to news organizations, most of the dialogue about the corresponding global issues is actually happening on social platforms. Social media is often providing the first-person POV and first-hand accounts of the news every major site is reporting on. Rarely do you find an online news article that is not referencing social media with an embedded instagram post, tweet, or screenshot to support claims or reports made. What does this tell you? For me, it only reaffirms what I learned monitoring my own media consumption habits: You can still be a decent global citizen and keep up with important issues without consuming traditional news media.
Most of the time, following along with a story through a hashtag will give you diverse perspectives on a topic, sufficient context to understand the issues at hand, and, on top of it all, some comedic relief in an otherwise depressing news cycle.
I rarely consume traditional news media to keep a pulse on current events. I more so rely on online publications and web periodicals to determine the facts, probably similar to the way encyclopedias were used in the olden days. If I’m researching something for statistics and data, news outlets are a great up-to-date reference source. I wouldn’t rely on a tweet for a stat. And even when a statistic is referenced in an article, I’m one to go three sources deep or more to confirm that something is factual. I think the role of journalists in society is to bring forth the facts, with a strong emphasis on fact-checking as part of their trade. For that reason, I would pay for news media to keep those jobs alive.
I don’t consume enough news to stay abreast on the latest spelling error in one of Trump’s tweets, which would quickly become articles and alerts on top media companies like CNN, NYT, and HuffPost. I don’t care enough to stay up-to-date and harp on those things as news. Politics junkies and journalism snobs would swear that it was relevant, but I would have to disagree.
For them, I think it’s like tuning in to the next episode in a gripping series binge. But for that I’d rather pay for Netflix than of paying for that next New York Times article after I’ve reached my monthly free limit. But, big picture, there is an important role for journalism and news media in our world. It’s a business, like any other, that needs money to function. But the way social media and technology is changing the way we consume information, there seems to be a growing divide between the kind of news content people are willing to pay for, and the kind they are not. The shortage of dollars floating around the industry may, be the factor that eventually cuts down on filler content. But at the same time, hysteria and urgency seem to also draw business for media companies.
As one of the people who thinks the news landscape is oversaturated, redundant, and sensationalized, I am tuning out of news stories a lot, and cringing from the flood of news alerts on the leak of the one thing the one politician said to the other politician (off the record probably). After monitoring my own media consumption habits, I learned that I’m only unwilling to pay for news media when it feels like noise pollution. I do think good journalism and uncovering the facts is important. But I can tune in to an entertaining and up-to-the-minute conversation beyond the facts for free on social media, and I think 68% of Americans would agree.
