In today’s world, people have access to an abundance of information at their fingertips. The internet, particularly social media, makes finding and sharing news easier and faster than ever.
Popular websites like Facebook and Twitter both list the trending news topics on their website. In fact, in 2016, the PEW Research Center did a study which found that 66% of people use Facebook as their main news source compared to 47% in 2013. However, this new convenience comes with its own risk of figuring out if the source is reliable or not.
Social media can be a great tool for journalists to market themselves, their stories and connect with readers. Because of this, it seems the rise in social media use as a news source can be very beneficial for the world of producers like journalists.
As a consumer, you have to take extra precautions to know whether or not the news you are getting is reliable and truthful.This does not mean major news sources such as the New York Times are strictly the only ones people can trust.
If you like listening to a certain podcast or YouTube series, they can have a reputable standing as long as they cite their sources appropriately. Yes, they likely will cite other major news sources as their evidence, but their unique spin on things might be the reason you prefer their commentary over that of another.
While it may be more difficult to find a dependable blogger to use as a daily news source, that does not mean they do not have a purpose elsewhere. If someone knows a lot about electronics, for example, it would be logical as well as helpful for them to run a blog site reviewing and discussing new tech gadgets.
That site would not be the one to turn to when looking for the latest political news, but it does have authority in its own field. As more and more people are turning to the internet for their daily news, the reliability of a source is becoming especially important.
Blogging and the use of social media may not be considered journalism in the traditional sense, but both can be beneficial as long as people are careful about validating the source, as they should do with any information they get off the internet.
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