Social media is having a large
impact on the way the journalism industry works and shares its content.
Twitter and other social media
sites are now seen as the way the majority of people consume the news, due
to it being accessible anytime, anywhere, through smartphones and tablets. This
huge development in the way news is shared, means the traditional methods of
journalism are being challenged to fit with the audience’s needs.
A change in the consumption of
news leads to a change in how news is gathered and researched.
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| Could Twitter be the death of the newspaper? |
Twitter is now seen as a very valuable
tool for journalist to research stories on either a local or an
international scale through specific key word searches, trends and hash tags. Allowing journalists a much larger platform to gather information from, and also a
place to share their work. Meaning social media acts as both a feeder and a
producer of information.
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| Karen Pickering |
With information being provided
to reporters fast allows them to gather information and opinions and produce an
article rapidly.
Social media allows sections of a
report to be published as and when the information comes to light, through Tweeting
a short caption of news rather than waiting to provide a full feature article.
Georgina Morris, Deputy News
editor for the Dewsbury Reporter and Morley Observer said: “We’re encouraged to
break stories online rather than hold the story for the print edition as we
might have done in the past.”
Social media is able to act as a publisher;
as soon as information is there it can be uploaded to the internet and
accessible to the world. “There is a real potential to increase online audience
and social media is a key part of that” said Georgina Morris. Journalists are
encouraged to share information immediately rather than wait for the newspapers
next publication.
Linking stories in their tweets to
the website allows for increased footfall by people who wouldn’t normally access
the website, as they are clicking on the hyperlink to find out more.
The Dewsbury reporter and Morley
Observer both have Facebook and Twitter pages to share articles and local
events to their audience. “All editorial staff are expected to have Twitter
accounts for work use” said Georgina Morris. Allowing them to share content, be
it articles, news updates, photos and links to other sources.
Up to the minute news provides a closer
link between the content publisher and their audience. Regular updates keep
followers interested and maintain a sense of trust as they are provided with
information they want.
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| Is Social Media taking over how people consume the news? |
The recent addition of Instagram
pages allows for the papers to share and gather content via images instead of
text.
140 character limitations of
twitter does mean information has to be reduced but can provide the followers
with a very brief overview so they are aware of what is happening. A concept
that is more appealing to people constantly on the move.
Social networking allows an
opportunity to gain an audience who wouldn’t necessarily read the paper. Being
able to use smartphones and other devices “Social media helps us to reach new
audiences who don’t traditionally buy papers, and is another way for us to
build a link with the community” Said Karen Pickering.
Twitter also now allows for feedback on local issues, to whether a certain topic is of interest to people, through the use of comments, likes and retweets readers have left. Allowing the papers to report on issues that they are interested and what to know about. Allowing the journalists to provide the wants of the community and inreturn gain the interest of the audience.
Twitter also now allows for feedback on local issues, to whether a certain topic is of interest to people, through the use of comments, likes and retweets readers have left. Allowing the papers to report on issues that they are interested and what to know about. Allowing the journalists to provide the wants of the community and inreturn gain the interest of the audience.
Social media can remove the wall
between journalists and their audience, as they are able to communicate with
each other and provide for each other.
Georgina Morris said: “Some
people post items of interest directly to our Facebook page, tweet us or send
direct messages to us. It is quick and convenient, and might seem less daunting
than ringing us up to pursue a story”. Comments left on tweets and the amount
of favourite also provides reporters with a sense of what their readership
wants from them, be it online or in the paper.
The future of journalism is
unpredictable, and the rise of social media is affecting how journalists work. This
doesn’t necessarily mean that traditional journalism methods are being removed,
but altering the ways journalists need to work in order to keep up to date with
society and technology.
