Millennials and Their Idea of News

I know I am not the only one when I say that my Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook feeds are filled with more celebrity accounts than any news or political ones. Or maybe I am? The phenomenon that millennials have more of a focus and interest on celebrity and entertainment news over traditional news is definitely one that is happening. And it’s called “infotainment.” Before searching this term, I would have never suggested that my current intake of certain “news” already had an actual whole word and definition for it, but in this day and age, nothing is truly surprising. Infotainment is content broadcasted that is meant to both entertain and to inform the audience. In the digital age generation, there has been an increase in wanting to know more about celebrity and entertainment news and because of all the new technology and social media platforms, this information is accessible at the tip of our fingers. Everything for us millennials seems to be located in that little glass screen we use as our “lifeline” into the media world.

So how do millennials gain the news that they do? For me, I use my Twitter account and Instagram account the most, and sometimes check find things out when scrolling through my Facebook feed. In the article “How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of America’s First Digital Generation”, reporter Eric Young explains that “Millennials consume news and information in strikingly different ways than previous generations, and their paths to discovery are more nuanced and varied than some may have imagined.” With the constant rise of technology, there are always new apps and resources developing that allows us to gain information of something happening in the celebrity/entertainment and even the worldwide news world anytime and anywhere. Young continues to explain that “data suggested adults age 18-34-so called Millennials- do not visit news sites, read print newspapers, watch television news, or seek out news in great numbers. This generation, instead, spends more time on social networks, often on mobile devices.” With celebrities and entertainment sources having the advantage of being able to promote their own idea of “news” out into the social media world, millennials are keeping their social media accounts with the information that they want to know about, whether it be a TV show account, your favorite actor, your favorite model, your favorite reality star, or even your favorite clothing line- you can know their information the way you want too.

In many ways, the celebrity and entertainment world crosses paths with the worldwide news world as well. Take the upcoming Presidential Election for example. It has become more of a celebrity face-off than an actual presidential campaign. All the candidates are using social media to get their news and opinions out into the world more than they have ever before. This news has become an example of infotainment. It is no longer just to inform, it is intended to entertain the viewers as well because the idea of entertaining is the only way to get your news out there and viewed by millennials. Just this past week, Yahoo cut out some of its digital magazines that can only be accessed with some source of technology. In an article posted on Ad week titled “Yahoo Is Shuttering 7 of Its 11 Digital Magazines” reporter Tim Baysinger says that “Yahoo Food, health, parenting, makers, travel, authors and real estate will no longer exist as stand-alone digital magazines. Instead, the publisher will focus on its four remaining verticals: News, Sports, Finance and Lifestyle.” Millennials have shown their interest in the certain news they want to learn about, and media giants such as Yahoo are taking notice. Yahoo’s global editor in chief Martha Nelson said in a statement, “While these digital magazines will no longer be published, you will continue to find the topics they covered as well as style, celebrity, entertainment, politics, tech and much more across our network.” All media, especially politics, celebrity and entertainment, are starting to not be possible without one another. On my own personal Twitter feed, I follow a few celebrities and magazines, but no other news sources. Right when I was scrolling through my feed, I saw Chrissy Teigen, a famous model, tweet about Jeb Bush suspending his presidential campaign. Celebrities are using their own social media accounts to not only promote themselves but to also be involved in the social media world. They in a way are becoming “news reporters” themselves. If you follow your favorite actress from your favorite TV show, you are going to get the information and news they feel strongly about. Celebrities are continuing to have a large impact and influence on many of their followers. They know the power they have with one single ‘Tweet’ and use these platforms to not only connect with their followers but to also try and make a difference with what is happening all over the world that is reported in our everyday news. While there is no doubt that millennials are still finding out their information through other actual news sources, data has suggested “social networks are exposing Millennials to more news than they were initially seeking. A full 88 percent of Millennials get news from Facebook regularly, and more than half do so daily.” (Young)

While many may think that Millennials are only concerned with the news of who didn’t receive a rose on last night’s Bachelor episode, they are also concerned about the current events happening as well. In the article “4 lessons about Millennials and news”, data showed that “eight-five percent of respondents said that “keeping up with the news is at least somewhat important to them,” while 69 percent added that they consume news daily.”” The survey conducted polled people ages 18- to 24 across the country, which are known as Millennials, gave insight on what news organizations need to do in order to keep their “news” involved in the social media world. And they aren’t just trying to keep up with other social media networks. The article continues to explain “News organizations attempting to court a younger audience aren’t just competing with one another for eyeballs- they’re competing with Gmail and Netflix as well. About 64 percent of respondents said they regularly keep up with the world events when online, making news consumption the fifth most popular activity among the other nine offered.” In order to be as successful with celebrity and entertainment news, other news organizations have to keep involved with the social media aspect of things considering that the way Millennials are gaining their information and news intake is by their own social media accounts.

No matter what type of news it is, social media is always reporting on something. The different variety of news that happens around the world is available to us through all different sources. With the rise of technology and social media, the way we are able to access news is, in my opinion, one main factor as to why certain ages are still learning about all different types of news. The Millennial generation “tends not to consume news in discrete sessions or by going directly to news providers. Instead, news and information are woven into an often continuous but mindful way that Millennails connect to the world generally, which mixes new with social connection, problem solving, social action, and entertainment,” (Young) There is constantly something happening through out the world, whether it be “real news” or celebrity news, but it is imperative that we keep up to date with both.

Works Cited:

"How Millennials Get News." The Media Insight Project. March 2015. Web.

Uberti, David. "4 Lessons about Millennials and News." Columbia Journalism Review. N.p., Mar. 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

"Yahoo Is Shuttering 7 of Its 11 Digital Magazines." AdWeek. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.

Is Social Media the new News Channel?

As new and different media platforms have become relevant they have not only become means for entertainment, but also a news source. Growing up and currently I saw my parents getting their news from TV. They would tune in every night to the news channel that suited them and would get caught up on what’s going on in the world. I also participated in this nightly ritual because it’s the routine at home. But as I got older I noticed a difference in the way my family got their news. This is not only true in my personal experience but in many other people’s lives. There has become a large shift in the way in which people are now getting their news information. Many people have gone from tuning into a television news channel to get their to news to going online to news websites, and most recently people have been turning to social media for information.

 With this transition becoming more and more apparent there is a question of what this will do for television news channels. If people continue to use social media as a means to get their news this could mean there will be a decline in the television news world, but it could also mean that these platforms are just a helpful addition to tradition television media. The recent GOP debate, which was broadcast on television news, received an extremely large audience. “Overnight returns give the ABC News debate a 9.3 rating among Nielsen's metered market households, and Fast National data have it averaging 13.2 million viewers. That's up from both of the January debates, on Fox Business Network (7.4 rating, 11.1 million viewers) and Fox News Channel (8.4 rating, 12.5 million viewers), the latter of which did not feature an appearance by Donald Trump.” (O’Connell) While the GOP debates received an overwhelmingly high amount of viewers it made me question why all of a sudden the viewership increased. While many people do pay attention to the debates regularly, others do not. Maybe this large amount of viewers is the result of the social media presence that politics has.

News on social media has the ability to grab the attention to people extremely easily. On both Democratic and Republican sides they both utilize the power of social media. Different news articles and ads are very commonly popping up on Facebook, twitter, and Instagram timelines. This is either from your friends or who you follow sharing it or it is an advertisement from a news source. There is also a news presence on Snapchat, news channels such as CNN, National Geographic, and DailyMail all make daily stories with the latest news it is a quick and easy way to stay informed with these. In addition to these daily stories there also one day stories that are often created when there is a debate or another political event that night. Someone who sees an add on Facebook or Twitter or watches the Snapchat story of the GOP debate then could have become interested enough in the event to tune in for the actual thing. In this instance social media would not be replacing television news, but aiding in it’s viewership.

Due to the nature of the transition from television news to social media hits home the hardest with one particular demographic. Millennial’s in particular are subject to the shift to social media as their news source more than any other demographic. The Media Insight Project focused on this social media usage of millennial to get their news. “Some people, particularly older Millennials, are more inclined to actively seek news, while others tend to let news find them, but virtually all Millennials employ a blend of both methods, as well as a mix of platforms and activities.” (Young) It’s easy to get exposed to news both hard-hitting and lifestyle on social media. With advertisements from news sources popping up, to friends sharing news they found interesting, and liking pages that you find interesting yourself; there is a constant stream of news coming in and out of the faces of millennials whether you are in search of it or not it is hard to escape. On Facebook in particular it is hard to not get drawn into the short articles and videos being shared. They often times headed with a caption to grab our attention and a short video clip that isn’t so long that we will get bored of it.

There is an obvious divide between the way in which millennials and baby boomers get their news. “Millennials’ relatively low reliance on local TV for political news (37% see news there in a given week) almost mirrors Baby Boomers’ comparatively low reliance on Facebook (39%).” (Mitchell, Page) There is no way to tell where the future of news media is exactly going to end up. If social media continues to take over the news world, or television remains on predominant the public will stay well informed nonetheless.

Works Cited

 "Fox News." Fox News. Facebook, Web. 19 Feb. 2016. 
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "Millennials & Political News: Social Medial - The Local  TV for the Next Generation?" PewResearchCenter (2015): n. pag. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

O'Connell, Michael. "TV Ratings: Saturday GOP Debate Rebounds, Nabs 13.2 Million Viewers." The Hollywood Reporter. N.p., 7 Feb. 2016. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

Young, Eric. "How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of Americas First Digital    Generation." The Media Insight Project (2015): n. pag. Web. 19 Feb. 2016.

Social Media's Positive and Negative Effects on Television

Social media has become something that dominates many areas of society. One of the biggest areas it has encompassed is television. Since its beginning, television reaches a tremendous audience. As the way television is consumed has changed so has the way audiences talk about it. It used to be a more personal talk but with social media it is no longer personal. What do I mean by personal? I mean a face-to-face conversation. While these conversations are still happening, talking about it through social media has become a bigger platform. These bigger platforms are having positive and negative effects on television shows and audiences.

Television shows used to rely mainly on Nielson ratings to determine how audiences felt about their shows but today all they have to do is create a hashtag. Teddy Hunt in his article, “Has Social Media Changed Television?,” emphasizes the advantages of using hash-tags: “many television shows now display hashtags in the bottom corner of the screen so fans can easily get on Twitter and see what others are saying about the show, chiming in themselves” (Hunt).  The hashtags on the various social media platforms allow users to get involved. For example, die-hard Chuck fans in 2011 lead a campaign to get the show renewed for a fifth season using twitter.

Kris Schneider, one of the many loyal Chuck fans, wrote in an email to Wired.com:

The Nielsens are basically just a tool to tell a network and advertisers that people are watching the commercials aired during a show…We decided that as fans we could tell them the exact same thing using Twitter. And unlike the Nielsens…we could show that not only were we watching, we were paying attention” (Watercutter). 

The use of social media for television can be positive. The Chuck fans were able to give its show a fifth season through Twitter.

            Fans tweeting on Twitter and making statuses about shows on Facebook has found shows looking at the new platforms to see how their shows are doing. While Nielsen used to focus mainly on one platform, they have now begun to research new platforms: “Over the past year, millions of TV fans across the U.S. have come together on Twitter each week to discuss TV’s biggest moments as they happen live without leaving the comfort of their own couches. Nielson ranked the top series, specials and sports events on Twitter this year…” (Nielson.com). When comparing the top ten primetime programs, through Nielson boxes and Twitter, there were some differences. Several shows were not even considered as top programming but more people were talking about them. For example, The Bachelor and Game of Thrones were two shows that did not make Nielson’s top ten list but on Twitter they were the number two and three talked about show. Tweets are becoming the new way for shows to see how their audiences feel.

While social media is having positive aspects for television shows, many audiences cannot stand it. Why? Fans of shows do not want them to be ruined. They do not want to be scrolling through Facebook or Twitter and see what happened in their show that they missed. In her blog, Gingermostly, rants about ruining a show by tweeting or writing a status about a show:

Before you tweet/Facebook/Google+/Whatever something take a moment and ask yourself ‘If I hadn’t watched this yet, would reading this ruin it for me?’ If the answer is ‘yes’ please DON’T DO IT. If you really just cant help yourself… at least extend the courtesy of plastering a big WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD sign” (Gingermostly).

Audiences member are not the only people realizing that shows can be ruined through spoilers. Creators of shows are realizing this as well. Amy Sherman-Palladino, creator of Gilmore Girls, understands how spoilers impact viewers and with its revival is truly thinking of the fans: “My preference would be they would not be released at once… Because the last thing you want is for someone to jump to the last episode and [ruin] it for everybody- which I think would happen, quite frankly, in this day and age of binging” (Lulic).  Spoilers on social media have a huge negative aspect on audiences.

            The positive and negative impacts of social media can influence a show in numerous ways. The question now is how much more the influence will go and the impact it will have on both the audiences and the studios.

Works Cited:

Hunt, Teddy. "Has Social Media Changed Television? - Social Media Explorer." Socia  l Media Explorer Has Social Media Changed Television Comments. Social Media                    Explorer, 31 Jan. 2014. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.         <https://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-marketing/has-social-          media-changed-television/>.

Gingermostly. "Kindly Shut It- A Rant About Spoilers (Does Not Contain Spoilers...)."             Web log post. Gingermostly. Gingermostly, 1 Dec. 2014. Web. 7 Dec. 2016.     <http://gingermostly.com/2014/12/kindly-shut-it-a-rant-about-spoilers-     does-not-contain-spoilers/>.          

Lulic, Michelle. "Bustle." Bustle. Bustle.com, Feb. 2016. Web. 14 Feb. 2016.       <http://www.bustle.com/articles/139283-rory-is-single-in-the-gilmore-          girls-revival-so-theres-more-romantic-drama-     ahead?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pro&utm_campaign=fbpro&sr_s                        ource=lift_facebook>.

RenewChuck. "This Is OFFICIAL !!!!!! #Chuck Is Back next September. Our Campaign             Has Worked !!!! #NotAnielsenFamily #SaveChuck !!! Love." Twitter. Twitter,         13 May 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <https://twitter.com/SaveChuck2011/status/69082727680442368>.

"Tops of 2015: TV and Social Media." Nielson. Nielson, 8 Dec. 2015. Web. 7 Feb.         2016.             <HTTP://WWW.NIELSEN.COM/US/EN/INSIGHTS/NEWS/2015/TOPS-OF-    2015-TV-AND-SOCIAL-MEDIA.HTML>.

Watercutter, Angela. "Twitter Campaign Tries to Save Chuck From Cancellation."      Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 24 Apr. 2011. Web. 14 Feb. 2016. <http://www.wired.com/2011/04/chuck-fans-take-to-twitter/>.