It's no secret that journalism is evolving. We are leaving newspapers for technology, paving the way for social media news. We can stay connected with one simple click on a smartphone device thanks to technology. In this blog, I'll explain the advantages and disadvantages of news consumption through social media.
Convenience
People and news organizations are turning to social media platforms because it's a convenient way to consume news. Not only is it an easier and faster way to read the latest news, but it's suitable for people who may have little time to read long articles or keep up with traditional news, like the newspaper or a scheduled newscast.
Here are a few ways social media news is more convenient.
Quick and Easy
It is an easier and faster way to read the latest news, but it's convenient for people who may have little time to read long articles or keep up with traditional news, like the newspaper or a scheduled newscast.
Discover News Accounts
With almost everyone on social media, platforms like Instagram and Twitter allow you to discover accounts you may be interested in based on your algorithm.
Share News
Social media is a great way to inform others, even your followers. Users can share posts on their Instagram Story, retweet on Twitter, or reshare publicly on Facebook. This is convenient if you want to bring attention to a news story or a social movement.
Participatory Journalism
Users can also participate by being journalists themselves. We see this for local events in communities or even posting a car crash on the citizen app. Users like myself create stories, posts and use hashtags to bring awareness to stories or social movements.
Did you know?
The hashtag #blacklivesmatter broke the record of the most used hashtag in one day. The hashtag was used 8.8 million times on May 28, 2020—breaking the previous record of 1.3 million in 2016.
Social Media News Risks
Using social media is a non-traditional way to use news, yet it allows users to easily stay informed about different categories such as entertainment, sports, politics, and business affairs. However, using social media as a news source also presents several risks that can be a challenge to deal with.
Misinformation
Misinformation and fake news have become a serious challenge for social media platforms to control. False information is spread by users, companies, and organizations who use social media to communicate with their audience.
Due to the rise of these risks because of how information can get twisted online, there are websites that fact-check information. Social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter implemented fact-checking tools to make sure news posts are factual. However, this is not always done immediately and can take several days before being reviewed.
Polarization
Threads of heated political debates turned into personal attacks are often difficult to avoid on social media. The various opinions among social media users contribute to various ideas online, but conversations on these platforms are usually more talking than listening.
Bias
In recent studies, it has been shown that social media users tend to manipulate their algorithm that only reflects and reinforces their own opinions. When social media users rely on these platforms for their daily news sources, they may be receiving information that is tailored to what they want to see online, ignoring issues that require being addressed.
News Consumption
A Pew Research Center study says a little under half (48%) of U.S. adults say they get their news from social media — a 5% decrease compared to their previous study in 2020.
Users 18-29 make up the majority of Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok. Facebook seems to have a wider range of users, yet Pew says the share of Facebook users who say they regularly get their news on the site has declined.
Users continue to use social media for news consumption despite these issues. Although the percentage of Americans who regularly get their news from social media in 2021 declined, these numbers haven't changed too much — this demonstrates how much social media impacts the news habits of Americans.
Σχόλια