The increase of news media within social media has allowed every Facebook, Twitter or even Instagram user to find out about important news and current issues the second they are published or leaked for the public eye. Most people find out about what’s happened in the world, such as the birth of the Royal Baby, the earthquake in Nepal or about the Baltimore riots through Facebook. Articles, videos and posts spread so quickly on Facebook simply because of the liking system that they have. Once something is shared, it is shared to hundreds of your friends, and each like they give the post, adds another hundred more viewers and readers from their friends list. It is an enormous and very effective chain.
The negative factor of this is if there is an embarrassing video or post that you don’t want people to see (although it shouldn’t have been put online in the first place), hundreds or even thousands of people can save, share or the inevitable action that everybody uses: screenshot it.
Yet one of the many positive factors of this is that more people become more knowledgable with current affairs and social issues (always great for conversations over a drink or two… or three) People can be warned about natural disasters heading their way or even (like the latest Facebook feature appearing after the Nepal earthquakes) to tell your family and friends that you are safe with a simple status.
Even with all this, I still think people should watch the evening news or read the newspaper because it is so much more beneficial and fruitful than finding out about something through 140 characters. Whatever happened to news anchors becoming a part of your family’s daily lives? Their good mornings, good nights, giving you the important information you need for the day and you becoming awfully familiar with the way they speak, present and even their different mannerisms! I watch The Project religiously and when Charlie Pickering was still on the show, I noticed that at the end of every show as the credits were rolling, the studio becoming dark and the audience applause, he would scribble something on his paper of notes. (I would refuse to change the channel until I saw him do it).
I know I still watch a lot of the news every night, and it would be good if you guys did too (because if not, then I’m not going to have a job in a couple of years time)
