Ella Gilbert
Social media is becoming a powerful source for guiding our news intake. Less and less people are reading newspapers or seeking out articles on publication websites. Instead, they’re clicking on Twitter links or watching shorter, informative, and more accessible videos. News channels and radio broadcasts are still important, but they don’t hold the same dominance within journalism that they used to. News outlets are having to adapt to fit our ever-changing media habits.
What is Social Media Journalism?
Social Media Journalism is a new generation of news that has adapted to the changing world of media. There are a variety of media forms but most common are TikTok or Instagram Reels, and ‘Journo Twitter’. Journalists and non-journalists alike use these platforms daily for varying purposes, including keeping up to date with friends, family, and now the rest of the world.
The beginnings of news outlets exploring social media were methods like Snapchat Discovery or local news articles being shared on Facebook. Nowadays, every publication has multiple social media accounts. Broadcasts and articles are being condensed into more digestible posts or videos, which in turn leads to more engagement.
Why are our habits changing?
The pace of life is changing. People no longer feel they have time to sit down and watch a news broadcast or read the paper. Our attention spans are shorter, and the majority of people want news to be right there in front of them, rather than having to specifically seek it out.
The development and popularity of apps like TikTok and Twitter is evidence that we want succinct and accessible media. In short, if it’s more than 280 characters or over a minute long, you’re probably going to scroll past. We’re seeing people relying on TikToks and tweets to get the majority of their news, or to at least grab their attention before they read more around the subject.
Is using social media to access news a good thing?
On the whole, yes. Social media news platforms allow current events and talking topics to be easily slotted into daily life and conversation, especially for people who might not feel they have time to read the news, or have no interest in doing so. Some articles are written inaccessibly, which can frighten potential readers. Social media is a familiar form of media to the majority of the population, and thus it can encourage people to understand the news in a more comfortable and consumable way. A move towards social media journalism also suggests that the journalism isn’t outdated, or ‘set in its ways’, as it sometimes might seem. Social media journalism seems to offer a future of journalism that is more suitable to a range of audiences and to the ever-changing world around us.
But there are some disadvantages that come with the development of social media journalism. Although it’s useful to have news integrated into daily life, sometimes it can feel inescapable. For both journalists and media-consumers, the ability to switch off is becoming increasingly difficult. Is it possible to maintain a good work-life balance when you’re constantly reminded of work?
Similarly, the news can often be heavy and draining, sometimes even suffocating, especially if you can’t separate your social media use from your consumption of news. Issues of fake news and trustworthy sources on social media are, of course, always prevalent. This is a problem with all media – social media is no exception.
What does this mean for the future of journalism?
The future is bright for the journalism industry. The growing popularity of social media journalism shows the industry’s ability to adapt, in order to continue to deliver news as the world changes. We’re seeing huge industry names, such as BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire or CNN’s Max Foster, turn to TikTok for broadcasting, alongside new and emerging journalists, who are making a name for themselves in this new era.
There are still teething problems to iron out, and the process of transitioning to new forms of media is undoubtedly slow, but social media promises to provide a breath of fresh air for journalism. Short videos and articles can reignite public interest in current affairs, after a somewhat disheartening relationship over the last few years. Expanding the industry to include more types of media, making it accessible to more people, can only be a good thing.
Featured image courtesy of Obi Onyeador on Unsplash. No changes were made to this image. Image license can be found here.