Social Media and Its Place in Journalism

Nearly 72 percent of all Internet users use Facebook. Twitter boasts over 190 million users. With statistics like that, it is no wonder journalists are jumping on the social media bandwagon in the attempt to provide news when and how consumers want it.

Journalists use social media in many of the same ways as consumers, to find stories, gather information, and publish content. Often, journalists find leads for a story on their Facebook homepage or Twitter feed. What you post as your status update or tweet into cyber space could be the next big story. Sites like Facebook and Twitter are also helpful to journalists in finding contacts. Just like you may Facebook stalk that kid who sits two rows in front of you in 8:00am anthropology; journalists too use social media to find potential sources for stories. Although journalists may use social media in many of the same ways a typical consumer would, their use is measured according to the journalistic standard.

Social media has many potential uses for journalists, but the question remains does using social media benefit or hurt journalism. One common argument concerning social media use among journalist is that it dissuades journalists from doing actual footwork.  If social media is used in such a manner, the quality of journalistic content will decrease dramatically. Social media may be a good place to start, but every bit of information collected from a social media site should be verified by some alternative source. It has been said that social media does not tell you what to believe, but it tells you what to look for. I think this should be the credo of all journalists who utilize social media.

The numbers of social media sites will continue to grow effect the way journalists collect and present news.  As a journalist, the key is to incorporate the use of social media while not straying from the fundamentals of journalism.