Author: Vidya Prabhakar
Twitter. Facebook. MySpace. LinkedIn. The list of social media tools is endless and most of us including the news media can barely keep pace with them. Micro blogging, macro blogging, and social media networks are great platforms to discuss mundane (describing what you had for lunch) or interesting and important information (like getting breaking news out fast).
I was sentimental and clinging on to newspapers and news channels to get my quota of news. And sure enough realized that I was being left behind! Facebook updates and tweets are not just a bunch of random thoughts that cross the minds of people. Some of these updates are really newsworthy and informative.
Social media has changed the way news is delivered – more specifically the speed and the style in which it is delivered. The question is, is this journalism? Is it embarrassing that tweets often beat the newswires? There is a thin line between personal and professional that often gets confused in this context.
Just as there are ethical codes and accountability placed on journalists in traditional journalism, social media needs to have accountability as well. The potential pitfalls associated with social media networks in getting news out include inaccuracy of facts, poor judgement, choice of language and target audience – all of which may lead to lack of credibility. We need to refine rules for micro and macro blogging to allow for maximum freedom of expression while valuing fairness, accuracy and bias-free news. Journalists are pushing to ensure that ethical practices similar to traditional journalism are tailored for social media users.
With technology changing the face of journalism, today’s audience wants to contribute content and opinions. The new trend is to “engage” the audience – news gathering and sharing is now a participatory activity. This leads to interesting posts and discussions – of course – there is bound to be a black sheep, an errant blogger who can let this expectation down!
News agencies and broadcasters like BBC are now using social media like twitter as a source of information – to collect, curate and provide collaborative news. Technology with a combination of accuracy and transparency gives voice to the society, reaches a younger audience and is constantly evolving!
Integrating news into social media is fine, so long as it is not used as a platform to vent off steam. Very soon, people may not use twitter- something new may come along. A two-way conversational journalism that places emphasis on ethical standards and accountability will evolve. It is already clear that the world has little patience for those who cling on to sentimental memories of a single newspaper/news channel/ news provider. Welcome to a world where tweets, comments and blog posts complete with newspapers!
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