The term “social media” refers to Internet-based applications which let anyone to create and exchange content using digital network technologies (boyd and Ellison, 2008; Kaplan and Haenlein, 2010). And the expansion of social media access means more and more individuals have access to increasing amounts of information and the opportunity for online socialization. So, has such easy access and variety of information online brought about by different forms of social media had any kind effect on the newsroom? Throughout this essay we shall discuss about different forms of social media, including blog, youtube, facebook, twitter and how its usage has changed the way in which news is produced.
Social media has changed news presentation for better …show more content…
This means, the consumers do not have to take in the very limited information given by the mainstream media, like in the past. Thanks to social media, the gap between the producers and consumers are virtually non-existent, with different communities being formed in Facebook groups. For example, blog is that form of social media which allows individuals to openly criticize the status quo and politicians, providing them with a forum for extreme and polarizing views, normally criticising the ‘‘lame stream media’’ for what they consider biased coverage (Johnson & Kaye, 2004). So, not only do some controversial views on a blog create big news, it gives anyone with an access to the internet the opportunity to get news “raw” from a blog. According to the research by Farrell in 2012, although …show more content…
Since we explained how social media creates different communities earlier, such platforms has been a breeding ground for some individuals with ethically wrong ideas, to create violent news consistently. Political bloggers, for example, tend to advocate strong ideological positions and provide hyperlinks to other ideologically similar blogs (Lawrence et al., 2010), thus cutting off exposure to opposing viewpoints and breeding extreme stances among users (Lawrence et al., 2010; Sunstein, 2009), which can reduce confidence in government including the presidency and Congress (Johnson & Kaye, 2004, 2012, in press; Sweetser & Kaid, 2008). Rather than mobilising people to take poltical action in real life, social media like tweets can lead to clustering of those with similar ideologies and discussion of similar topics, into polarised discussions, according to Barberra et. al. (2015). Many rebel groups, moreover, in Syria have their own YouTube and Twitter accounts which they use to publicize their battlefield successes and tout their territorial control (Zambelis, 2012). Therefore, as the number of social media users increases, the role of social media in conflict will likely grow. But it is not just the promotion of war that we need to be scared of but a large and growing literature also seek to alert observers to the dangers of cyber war. As matter of fact, according to William Lynn
Social media has changed news presentation for better …show more content…
This means, the consumers do not have to take in the very limited information given by the mainstream media, like in the past. Thanks to social media, the gap between the producers and consumers are virtually non-existent, with different communities being formed in Facebook groups. For example, blog is that form of social media which allows individuals to openly criticize the status quo and politicians, providing them with a forum for extreme and polarizing views, normally criticising the ‘‘lame stream media’’ for what they consider biased coverage (Johnson & Kaye, 2004). So, not only do some controversial views on a blog create big news, it gives anyone with an access to the internet the opportunity to get news “raw” from a blog. According to the research by Farrell in 2012, although …show more content…
Since we explained how social media creates different communities earlier, such platforms has been a breeding ground for some individuals with ethically wrong ideas, to create violent news consistently. Political bloggers, for example, tend to advocate strong ideological positions and provide hyperlinks to other ideologically similar blogs (Lawrence et al., 2010), thus cutting off exposure to opposing viewpoints and breeding extreme stances among users (Lawrence et al., 2010; Sunstein, 2009), which can reduce confidence in government including the presidency and Congress (Johnson & Kaye, 2004, 2012, in press; Sweetser & Kaid, 2008). Rather than mobilising people to take poltical action in real life, social media like tweets can lead to clustering of those with similar ideologies and discussion of similar topics, into polarised discussions, according to Barberra et. al. (2015). Many rebel groups, moreover, in Syria have their own YouTube and Twitter accounts which they use to publicize their battlefield successes and tout their territorial control (Zambelis, 2012). Therefore, as the number of social media users increases, the role of social media in conflict will likely grow. But it is not just the promotion of war that we need to be scared of but a large and growing literature also seek to alert observers to the dangers of cyber war. As matter of fact, according to William Lynn