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
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.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs I started reading your blog post, I remember, whether it was in the morning or late afternoon after school, my parents always had the news on. Typically I would only tune in to see if my school was closed for the snowstorm, but as I got older more stories would catch my attention. I definitely agree that news has spread to more mediums than just television and for Millennials; I think this shift has been great. In class, we have put a lot of focus on how much television has changed and how that change is not always a good thing. Many of our classmates believe television will be a goner in the future and the others believe television is necessary for news; especially that on demand breaking news…but is it?
ReplyDeletePersonally for me I have news apps on my iPad and iPhone and have notifications set “on” so when breaking news happens, I know it immediately and I’m a “swipe right” away from viewing the whole story. If someone is a big fan of news and knowing everything that’s going on around them, I think these apps are better than the television. “Data suggests that social networks are exposing Millennials to more news than they were initially seeking,” (Young). This is a result of using social media as a means for news and not even realizing it. Young states that 88% of Millennials get their news from Facebook regularly. To add to that, we also have our Twitter feeds, Buzzfeed articles, Snapchat discover page, etc. that we go to for news as well. Access definitely plays a factor here. The majority of people have smart phones on them at all times that have the ability to access news. “News and information are woven into an often continuous but mindful way that Millennials connect to the world generally, which mixes news with social connection and entertainment” (Young).
As far as politics and news, I’m not a huge politics fan but I do like to tune into the debates on television if I remember that they’re on. If not, the following day, I am bound to find something about it on every social media medium I am a part of. “Roughly a quarter (24%) of Millennials who use Facebook say at least half of the posts they see on the site relate to government and politics, higher than both Gen Xers (18%) and Baby Boomers (16%),” (Mitchell). From what I know, political debates are shown on television once and not every person is going to be able to watch at that exact time so clips, quotes and photos from the debate appearing on social media is beneficial for not only those who missed the debate, but also those who can’t get into politics and are almost to see it on their Facebook feed.
Work Cited:
Young, Eric. "How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of Americas First
Digital Generation." The Media Insight Project (2015): Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "Millennials & Political News: Social Medial – The Local TV for the Next Generation?" PewResearchCenter (2015): Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
The evolution of news media has changed tremendously in the past several years. With newspapers moving online and less and less people subscribing to these companies, I think there is a clear trend that begins to appear. Almost like our entertainment viewing habits, I believe consumers are more and more striving to individualize all aspects of their lives. The advent of streaming and time shifting has also made this trend quite apparent.
ReplyDeleteWith news however, there has always been somewhat of a notion that people had waited for their news – unless it was some ‘breaking’ story of course. With social media already bridging the gap between individuals and communities online, it’s no wonder as to why this trend would transfer over into the news / information sphere as well. As illustrated by one survey, this is especially true when it comes to political news for specific generations. “Millennials’ reliance on Facebook for political news is also almost exactly on par with Baby Boomers’ reliance on local TV (60%).” (Mitchell, Page)
When we look at our society, I think it’s important to ask why we as consumers are leaning towards forms of social media for our daily digest of news. I think this question is answered somewhat from another survey which compares the difference in distribution strengths with Twitter versus Facebook. “The proportion of users who say they follow breaking news on Twitter, for example, is nearly twice as high as those who say they do so on Facebook (59% vs. 31%) – lending support, perhaps, to the view that Twitter’s great strength is providing as-it-happens coverage and commentary on live events.” (Mitchell, Page).
I believe this ‘as-it-happens’ coverage is what society finds so appealing. Why wait till the scheduled nightly news when you can simply tap directly into the event occurring by following individuals who are live tweeting. Personally, I’ve come to lose a fair amount of trust when it comes to most –if not all prominent news corporations. With the dominating power of media conglomeration and consolidation, I find it difficult to discern how much authority and integrity still exists in the realm of journalism. With that, I place more trust with myself when it comes to researching events or news occurrence around the world.
The advent of Twitter and Facebook has certainly sped up the sharing of information to a pace that I think even news companies are having trouble keeping up with; presenting some negatives as well. I think the negatives of the trend exist in the people’s ability to differentiate what is in fact ‘news’ and what may be fake and or not completely true. Being that there is little to no ‘filter’ features for news, I think there is a new sense of responsibility that we, as consumers, must uphold when obtaining our information.
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "Millennials & Political News: Social Medial - The Local TV for the Next Generation?" Pew Research Center (2015): n. pag. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 14 July 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
The millennial generation is highly dependent and constantly turning to social media. These multiple media platforms are all essential because now a day’s people use the Internet for everything. “Social networks are an extraordinarily important part of Millennials’ digital lives, in part because social networks have become much more than a way to connect about personal matters” (Young). Social media has changed the way that people have received and shared all kinds of information. The News in particular is one topic that has changed drastically due to social media. Newspaper subscriptions are becoming less common and more irrelevant as a source of news. Not only that but with the phenomenon of cord cutting, news stations could potentially be in big trouble in terms of relevancy and ratings.
ReplyDeleteNews on social media has truly sky rocketed due to its quick and easy access. News channels such as CNN have taken to social media platforms as a way of reaching a broader audience. Mobile applications for news, channels on social media such as snap chat, twitter and Facebook accounts are all ways that audiences can share and learn about what is happening in the world without going out of their way to seek out the news itself.
That is the beauty about social media; for the most part it’s free. While many people pay for subscriptions, they are more inclined to pay for entrainment than the news. When it comes to information as invasive as the news, millennials feel that kind of information should be free. “Being a more active news seeker, meanwhile, is associated with more willingness to pay for some type of news” (Young). Information going on around the world is important to citizens but at the same time people feel they shouldn’t have to pay for that kind of information. Snap chat has added numerous channels that can be viewed on the free app including the news.
Millennials even prefer to get their news via media platforms such as Facebook. “Millenials’ reliance on Facebook for political news is also almost exactly on par with Baby Boomers’ reliance on local TV” (Mitchell, Page). The reason for this is that the majority of Facebook’s users are millennials. Social media is the primary source of interaction and communication among this generation. Users share articles, videos and their opinions with those that they are connected with online creating the opportunity for conversation with others.
While many people still subscribe to print newspapers the transition to news via social media continues to grow. Baby Boomer’s heavily rely on local TV for political news and traditional media while millennials continue to use new media. I personally feel that this trend will continue because of the benefits that social media has to offer users such as free information, easy access, and convenience. Technology has shifted the way that we live our lives and the news has done a great job adapting with this shift.
Work Cited:
Young, Eric. "How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of Americas First
Digital Generation." The Media Insight Project (2015): Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "Millennials & Political News: Social Medial – The Local TV for the Next Generation?" PewResearchCenter (2015): Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Zach Caldicott
ReplyDeleteEver since the Internet came into our worlds, there has been a huge shift in the way we get our news. Instead of using television and radio, millennials now use social media to get their news, myself included. Since our generation has grown up using technology, we are used to getting information instantaneously with the click of a button.
According to the Media Insight Project, there is a big concern that millennials are not aware of the world around them and that they don’t seek out the news. Many feel that we just randomly stumble upon news through our social media feeds. I believe I have learned a lot about current events through social media, specifically through Twitter and Facebook. In fact, I have become extremely interested in the upcoming election because of social media. It started by seeing something a friend posted about the election a few months ago and over time, I started to understand the whole election process and learn about the candidates. Before this, I wasn’t that interested in politics so it was actually social media that drew me into it. Now I actively look for whatever information I can find about who wants to run and what their platforms are and because of social media, I feel very informed about many of them.
I don’t think that TV on the news will ever become obsolete because it has so many programming options. Even though the range of topics on Facebook is broad , it still has some limitations when it comes to hard news. Approximately 73% of news that people see on Facebook is entertainment while only 55% is dedicated to news and politics (Matsa). Also, there are still many people who have their favorite networks and like to tune in to see their favorite reporters deliver the news. I know that in my house growing up, my parents would watch the same news network each and every night.
I will continue to use Social Media as my main outlet for news while also watching news on TV as well. I feel that they are both very important ways for people to get the news and will stay that way for the foreseeable future.
Work Cited
Young, Eric. "How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of Americas First Digital Generation." The Media Insight Project (2015): n. pag. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Matsa, Katerina Eva. "8 Key Takeaways about Social Media and News." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. N.p., 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
As we are all familiarized with by now, we are living in a digital age that strives to cater to individuals at every level. Therefore, the process of TV viewing, music listening, and newsgathering differs from person to person based on their preferences and habits. Many will read the physical newspaper every day. Others will watch the local five o’clock news before dinnertime. Millennials tend to sift through brief headlines in their twitter feed, or visit the mobile apps of the respective news networks on the go. For me, I have my own method of newsgathering that I’ve grown to appreciate over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe first way that I gather my news is through traditional TV. Being from Boston, I enjoy streaming the newscasts from WCVB Channel 5 to stay on top of local news back at home. WCVB’s live streams their newscasts every time they go on air, and then makes that block of news available to stream on-demand all day until they go live again. Since my busy college schedule prevents me from catching the live program, I timeshift the broadcast to my convenience.
The second way I obtain news is through mobile applications on my phone. I have the mobile apps for WCVB, CNN, Associated Press, CBS news, FOX news, ABC news, and Buzzfeed News for the push notifications that get sent as news breaks. This is the most convenient way that I’m able to stay on top of the most important headlines of the day. For example, I learned about the shootings in Kalamazoo, Michigan through the news apps on my phone that sent push notification alerts as the event unfolded. If any particular alert peaks my interest, I can swipe it on my phone and the news article will open up directly in the mobile app. This applies to Twitter too; if I see a headline that I want to read more about, I can click the tweet at my convenience to view the article
Obtaining news “on-the-go” is a new trend for Millenials. According to a study conducted by Pew Research Center, “39 of the top 50 digital news websites have more traffic to their sites and associated applications coming from mobile devices than from desktop computers” (Mitchell 4). Whether it’s on the train or walking to class, reading news on our phones is an easy way to pass time.
A final way that I obtain my news is through Facebook. In addition to following friends and family members, I follow the major news networks as well. Therefore, not only do I have headlines of these news sources appearing in my feed, I am able to see what my friends are posting as well. According to a study published by the Associated Press in conjunction with the American Press Institute, “Of the 24 different news and information topics asked about, for instance, Facebook ranked as the No. 1 gateway for 13 and the second-most popular choice for seven others […] In other words, although most of these people had multiple ways of getting information on these topics, more of them included Facebook in that mix than any other place” (Young 14). In my opinion, this is most likely due to the fact that people are able to freely express their opinions in public posts in response to current events. Personally, I don’t trust Facebook as a news source, especially when friends share links to their feed. In this day and age, so many people repost groundbreaking headlines that they come across as real news, but in reality are complete garbage from unreliable sources.
The options are endless for obtaining news, but in the end social media always tends to end up on top. We just have to be careful with what we see and post, as credibility of sources will remain an issue for a long time to come.
WORKS CITED
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page, comps. State of the News Media 2015. Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center, 29 Apr. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. .
Young, Eric. How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of America’s First Digital Generation.The Media Insight Project. The American Press Institute, the Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research,, Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. .
I believe keeping up with local, national and international news is one of the most important things I do daily. I have an obsession with knowing everything that is going on throughout the world. If anything comes up in conversation I want to be able to contribute. I’m sure everyone has fond memories of their parents turning on the news after their family turned off their evening TV show. I vividly remember after my family would watch an evening TV show my Dad or Mom would put on Fox 5 news. Every night I watched news anchors Ernie Anastos and Rosanna Scotto tell me the weather and news stories in our area. They felt like part of our family. I was devastated when Rosanna Scotto left the night show to work on the morning show. That being said I don’t think since then I have ever turned on the TV to watch the news. I get all my news almost exclusively from the Internet. I follow many different news accounts like New York Times, Vice News and CNN. I follow a wide variety of networks because I want a wide variety of news stories. The local news isn’t going to do a piece on the drug wars going on in the world, so that is why I follow Vice.
ReplyDeleteI also don’t really ever actively look for news. When I see a headline on one of my timelines that that catches my attention, I read it. I think I speak for most of my peers when I say news is second nature to us. As author Eric Young says, “in many cases, news comes as part of social flow, something that may happen unexpectedly and serendipitously as people check to see what’s new with their network or community of friends” (Young). We are constantly being updated due to our social media usage. We do not need to carve part of our day out to turn on the news channel and watch it.
“Millennials also appear to be drawn into news that they might otherwise have ignored because peers are recommending and contextualizing it for them on social networks, as well as on more private networks such as group texts and instant messaging” (Young). I find this to be very accurate. A lot of my friends share or retweet certain news stories they find interesting, otherwise I would most likely not have discovered that certain article.
Social media has also given the consumers more of a voice in their news. Pew Journalists Katerina Eva Matsa says that, “not only are social network users sharing news stories, but, particularly with the growth in mobile devices, a certain portion is contributing to the reporting by taking photos or videos” (Matsa). When you watch news on TV you can’t give your opinion to a talking head, but now these networks are encouraging engagement. We then get more invested in the news. Instead of just tweeting a link with a news story, news companies are able to tweet out video so the consumers don’t have to read and can just watch. If you are not by a TV at the moment something happens, social media is your go to news source.
It is going to be interesting to see how these networks balance their declining traditional TV news while also catering to their growing social media audience.
Works Cited:
Matsa, Katerina Eva. "8 Key Takeaways about Social Media and News." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. N.p., 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 21 Feb. 2016.
Young, Eric. How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of America’s First Digital Generation. The Media Insight Project. The American Press Institute, the Associated Press NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, Mar. 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016. .
Social media has changed the way users consume media. This has been a common occurrence among all types of media, which we have seen in previous weeks from classmate’s blog posts. I think that the news has undergone one of the largest shifts in media, and now heavily relies on different social media outlets to reach their audience. Since news instant information and constantly changing, social media is the perfect platform for providing updates and articles to users. However, I don’t think that this will take away from traditional news channels. You mention that with the rise of social media and news information, there may be a drop in traditional news channels or it may aid in the reach of news information to audiences. I think that both traditional news and social media will continue to provide audiences with optional ways for accessing the news.
ReplyDeleteTuning into the nightly news is still a daily ritual for many people. Just like you, I can remember my parents watching the news every night, and this is something they still do. Just like reading the newspaper, watching the news is something more desirable for the older generations. Since we have grown and become accustomed to social media, our generation and the generations below us want to access information that is intertwined with our social apps. You mention that Millennials are more likely to turn to Facebook for news and Baby Boomers are more likely to stick with traditional television news and I completely agree with this.
Social media news is more desirable for Millennials because it provides them with direct information and grabs their attention with short and to-the-point information. This can be seen through Facebook and Twitter, which are significant platforms for providing news information. Rather than sitting in front of the television right when the news comes on, users can be at the gym while scrolling through their Twitter or Facebook feed to read about the news. Even if the users aren’t seeking news, these social media platforms still provide a vast amount of news information. “78% of Facebook news users mostly see news when on Facebook for other reasons” (Matsa, Mitchell). This is so significant because it shows the impact that news articles have when they pop up on a user’s Facebook feed.
Although Millennials are less likely to seek news, they are still being exposed to news information. This is such a good thing because the majority of Millennials use social media as their only source for news information. “Millennials also appear to be drawn into news that they might otherwise have ignored because peers are recommending and contextualizing it for them on social networks” (Young). So even if individuals do not personally follow news accounts on Twitter on Facebook, they can still see stories shared by their friends and followers. I think that social media will continue to be one of the main source of news information for Millennials and future generations.
Matsa, Katrina Eva and Amy Mitchell. "8 Key Takeaways About Social Media and News." Pew Research Journalism Project. 26 March 2014. Web.
Young, Eric. "How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of Americas First
Digital Generation." The Media Insight Project (2015): Web. 19 Feb. 2016.
Erin your closing statement addresses my thoughts about millenials and their ways of learning about news; “none the less we will stay informed.” Aka, there are many ways aside from social media from which we (millenials) can attribute as our sources of news.
ReplyDeleteSocial media was created to connect with friends and family to share social lives. Facebook was the pioneer for that, then Twitter, then Instagram, vine, and so on. Twitter pioneered the social news and politics thing by making breaking news available quickly and easily, while it is still “breaking.” Facebook now has a large news presence and Snapchat is catching up with new feeds relating to popular news, like you mentioned Erin. But Twitter seems to take the cake when it comes to determining which outlet truly provides the information that we retain. Because Twitter’s platform is built to spit out updates every second, it enables users to use that to their advantage by covering breaking news stories as they happen: “Nearly six-in-ten Twitter news users (59%) use the site to keep up with a news event as it is happening, which is almost double the rate among Facebook news users (31%)” (Mitchell). This proves that not only Twitter, but Facebook as well, are leaders for providing news.
There is another article that boasts about millennials turning strictly to social media for news, but it raises some doubt. My concern with the results from The Media Insight Project study is that it is does not capture a very large audience. The final number of participants who completed the survey as a whole is 1,045 (Young). To capture an accurate depiction of millennials as a whole and how we get our news, this number seems a bit small. There’s no doubt in my mind that yes, the majority of us do get a lot of our news from Facebook and Twitter, but having it integrated within our outlet for socializing with friends makes it somewhat difficult.
When I want news I typically turn to a place where I can strictly learn about the news without interruptions. Scrolling through Twitter gives you the most important headlines for you to notice and become informed of current events, but it certainly is not the most efficient way to learn. As you are scrolling you are also bombarded by sports news, celebrity updates, fitness inspiration and nonsense complaining about boys and school from your friends (followers).
Another issue about news on social media comes from Facebook. It’s not uncommon to hear people complaining when their friends voice their political opinions on Facebook. If someone shares their thoughts in a status, the likelihood of them also sharing political posts and videos is very likely. If one political thing bothers you, then all of them will, therefore resulting in using Facebook’s “hide” option. Users can choose to hide certain friend’s posts from their timelines, hiding what the study says millennials use as news. Again, everything should be taken with a grain of salt, meaning not all things can be applied to all people, but my point is that although social media sites have become increasingly popular for sharing news and politics, there are still a large majority who like to keep their social media outlets just for social means. This integration of news across multiple platforms besides television proves both helpful and wasteful for millennials.
References:
Mitchell, Amy and Dana Page. "The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and
Facebook." Pew Research Center. 15 July 2015. Web. 21 Feb. 2016
Young, Eric. "How Millennials Get News: Inside the Habits of Americas First Digital
Generation." The Media Insight Project (2015): n. pag. Web. 22 Feb. 2016.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteSocial media has quickly developed into the main platform I use for receiving news updates. Whenever I log into a social media site like Facebook, I am immediately drawn to any breaking news posts I can find. In fact, sometimes it just happens by accident. I might be mindlessly scrolling through my newsfeed when I stumble upon an interesting article that a friend has posted. According to the Pew Research Journalism Project,“78% of Facebook news users mostly see news when on Facebook for other reasons” (Matsa).
ReplyDeleteAlthough some of the discoveries may be incidental, Facebook is taking measures to ensure that people can access news on the site more easily. The right side of my Facebook page is often the first thing I notice when I get onto the site. There is a small tab showing three news stories at a time. The news ranges from celebrity gossip to political updates. The tab also offers a link to another page on Facebook where there is a longer, more extensive list of news stories available. My favorite part about this feature is that if you are interested in a particular headline, by simply clicking on it you are brought to a page full of links to stories from actual news outlets that you can pick from to find more information. As a Facebook user, I am not alone in this process of accessing news updates from social media. According to data from the Pew Research Center, the percentage of users who got their news from Facebook increased by sixteen percent from 2013 to 2015 (Mitchell). I think this news tab is a fantastic addition to Facebook and takes the sites relevance and value to another level.
However, I want to stress that I don’t think social media will ever actually replace television news outlets. Television news will always be the source I tune into when an important news story is unfolding. For example, back in 2013 during the Boston Marathon Bombings, I was tuned into CNN for three days straight while the events unfolded and the bombers were located and detained. The fact that they were able to follow the story with videos, up-to-date progress on the search and incredibly insightful features made the story come alive and gave me all the information I was hungry for. In my opinion, social media will never be able to do that on the same level.
Also, I feel that television news provides a much more personal and in depth look at news stories. At the local level, it makes people feel connected to their hometowns. People enjoy watching their local news networks and develop a “relationship” with the anchors. It makes the stories feel personal. For national network broadcasts, camera crews and journalists have access to interviews and footage that social media just can’t compete with. Nothing will ever be able to compete with on location, personalized sign-ins, stories, and sign-offs. Even though many people may be using social media for quick news updates, television news will always stand high above the hashtags.
Works Cited:
Matsa, Katrina Eva and Amy Mitchell. "8 Key Takeaways About Social Media and News." Pew Research Journalism Project. 26 March 2014. Web.
Mitchell, Amy and Dana Page. "The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook." Pew Research Center. 15 July 2015. Web.
I have a love/hate relationship with social media -- which is ironic for a Media Studies major to say. But, it is because of how reliant I am on it even though it is innately addictive and sometimes, misinformative. Although many people see social media as an outlet for entertainment, it has a monumental impact on how we attain our news and what news we pay attention to.
ReplyDeleteFacebook, in particular, is a primary source for news for many people, although most don’t really notice. A study found that although Facebook is the by far the most common way millennials get informed about news and politics, only 3% list it as their main source for political news. That same study also recognized that “getting news on Facebook is largely an incidental experience” (Millennials 10). This is because of a thing that social media users like to call “clickbait.” Clickbait is all over social media timelines and is used to draw attention to a story on a particular website. Titles of these linked posts usually read something like this -- “You Won’t Believe What Donald Trump Said About Minorities.” Many people, who were simply perusing their friends Facebook pictures prior to noticing the clickbait, see these clickbait posts being shared and commented on and wind up looking into them. Then, many times, people will write their own opinion on the video and share it on their timeline to their friends who incidentally experience it themselves. It is a domino effect.
Personally, I don’t like how social media plays such an integral part in news, but I’m a hypocrite because I get most of my news on social media. I usually let it come to me, also. I went from watching both morning and nightly news, to just nightly news, to just social media news all in a matter four years. Half of the news I am exposed to is either extremely Democratic, extremely Republican, or extremely stupid. Sometimes, it is more than one of those things at once. In one second I’m reading a 17-year-old’s malicious take on Bernie Sanders and in the next second I’m watching a high school kid say “damn Daniel” for a minute and a half wondering how 300 thousand people could’ve possibly retweeted it.
I will admit, one thing that is incredible about social media news is the breaking news. I’ll never forget being in my Statistics class sophomore year watching my Twitter timeline gradually update me on the news of the Boston Bombing. Ten years ago I probably wouldn’t have found out about that until I stood in front of a television. Twitter allowed me to text my friends and family and ask how they were doing. Also, during the Paris Attacks Facebook incorporated a way for users in Paris to tell their friends they were okay. I thought that was awesome. Because of how instant social media is, many people use their accounts to keep up with the breaking news. 59% of Twitter users say they use the social media platform to keep up with an ongoing news event, while 31% use Facebook (The Evolving 8). I believe that so many people are using social media to keep up with these events because you can consume the news anywhere. Also, Twitter is limited to 140 characters so you know you are getting concise, easy-to-read news. There’s no sitting through a whole news program or hopping in halfway through and missing what was covered before -- on social media you can read it all as it is happening and read the older posts whenever you like.
Although I don’t love it, I believe the immediacy of social media will shift the news more towards the Facebooks and Twitters rather than the CNNs and MSNBCs.
Works Cited
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.
Mitchell, Amy and Dana Page. "The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook." Pew Research Center. 15 July 2015. Web.
PHIL LENTINI
You bring up a lot of great points with great information from the articles. It’s always interesting to see how other people get their news. I am someone who personally uses both traditional and modern methods. I have my news apps, but when I really want a thorough coverage I like to watch the actual news station as well. I find that nothing tends to beat the live coverage that a network can provide. However, news apps are just incredibly convenient. They are concise, well written and are available with just a click on my iPhone. The news is 24/7 so it makes sense to have the app since I can’t be in front of the TV. However, since the development of it I wonder if it has altered the integrity of news reporting.
ReplyDeleteJust 25 years ago you had traditional media to consume your news. You had you cable networks that ran coverage and your local newspapers. You could rely on those sources being reliable and consistent. This is because companies that own networks tend to also own the newspapers, thus the information in them is consistent. Now, with the expansion of technology and the Internet the public is exposed to a wide range of not only news but also different opinions and perspectives. One of my morning rituals is to see what’s trending on Facebook and Twitter. In fact, Amy Mitchell and Dana Page from the Pew Research center state from a study they conducted how, “majorities of Twitter (63%) and Facebook users (63%) now say each platform serves as a source for news about events and issues outside the realm of friends and family.” I can get not only hard news but also my daily dose of entertainment gossip. I have a love and hate relationship with this new wave of information though. I love it because there is no reason not to be informed anymore with everything being a click away. I am also usually likely to find someone who shares my perspectives on everything from politics to celebrity gossip. I hate it though because while I have a plethora of information right at my figure tips, it’s also necessary to be able to weed out what’s reliable and what’s not.
Now don’t get me wrong; I like having multiple perspectives on an issue because now I can fact check everything from celeb gossip to politics. However, I also tend to find that it have to really sift and be picky when deciphering what I chose to believe. I know I’m not the only one as Mitchell and Page state again in another article, “all three generations trust, on average, about four-in-ten sources they have heard of and distrust about two-in-ten.” I find this fascinating. No network cable news shows are 100% honest, but I tend to be overwhelmed by contradicting articles and we all know they need ratings somehow. I have now accepted that when trying to form my own political views that it’s up to me to hear all sides and perspectives of the situation and then decipher for myself what I think is true based on facts and sources. In deciding those facts and sources, I need to have as many outlets as possible.
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "The Evolving Role of News on Twitter and Facebook." Pew Research Centers Journalism Project RSS. Pew Research Center, 14 July 2015. Web. 22 Feb. 2016
Mitchell, Amy, and Dana Page. "Millennials & Political News: Social Medial – The Local TV for the Next Generation?" PewResearchCenter (2015): Web. 19 Feb. 2016.