The Revolution of Social Media

 

The communication environment has been radically altered by technology, with social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter altering how information is transmitted and consumed. As (Kolodzy, 2012) discusses, journalists must now adapt to the social media era by learning how to communicate with audiences in real time and how to use these platforms for news sourcing and distribution. They're no longer just reporters; they're also social media administrators, customer service representatives, and community organizers.

Communicators have developed innovative ways to use social media for public service journalism. For example, during the Boston Marathon bombing, local news organizations turned to Twitter for real-time updates and to engage with their viewers, as (Kolodzy, 2012) explains. As a result, in addition to learning social media tools and algorithms, today's communicators must adopt new ethical standards to validate material acquired from social platforms, ensuring its integrity and trustworthiness.

Yet, this model of change is not without its difficulties. As news consumption becomes more social media-centric, it gives birth to a slew of challenges such as fake news, misinformation, and echo chambers. Furthermore, as journalists increasingly rely on social media for news sources, the distinctions between user-generated material and professionally created information blur, creating legal issues about news verification and credibility.

In the field of journalism, a reporter's responsibilities now go well beyond merely gathering and distributing news. Today's journalists need to be skilled in interacting with audiences in real-time, scouring social media for sources and story ideas, and even using these platforms to share news, as discussed by (Kolodzy, 2012). 

Kolodzy, J. (2012). Practicing Convergence Journalism. Taylor & Francis. https://mbsdirect.vitalsource.com/books/9781136222825