Social Media and It's Impact on Communication

Truth in Reporting  Technology has changed the work of communicators and influenced the training they need largely due to the presence of social media. Prior to social media the journalist was faced with obtaining the story and reporting it to the news agency for release. Newspapers and news magazines were the primary way news was reported. This process would allow the journalist to research the story for the facts and then report it accordingly. Social media has changed all this. Now stories are reported so quickly, sometimes there is very little research prior to release. Many times, the journalist is catching up to a story that has already happened. I saw this happen in real time just yesterday (07/29/23) at the Orange County Fair. Several people, including me, saw someone who appeared to be “Bad Bunny” the Rap Star at the fair last night. Within minutes of his appearance, people posted this information on social media. On Sunday morning, it was reported on the local news that t...

      Reporting the Story in the Correct Context Journalist are faced with so many challenges due to the presence of social media and the necessity that information be released promptly and accurately. There is always a temptation to release information and allow the reader or the viewer to interpret the picture, video, or information. Everyone is now equipped with smartphones that allow most every incident to be recorded and immediately posted. This, however, does not mean that all photos and stories should be reported and left open to interpretation. It is incumbent upon the writer/journalist to write a story within its proper context. This may be a time-consuming effort, however, it is necessary to maintain honesty and integrity of the story. Journalist must be trained not only to report a story but explain the story to the reader. Many times, journalist and news agencies can suffer legal consequences if a story is reported in accurately.         ...

  Rapid Release of Information May Spell Trouble News and information is shared and exchanged at a very rapid pace due to the internet and social media. As quickly as story happens, the information is posted on social media and or reported on the local news. Ordinary citizens are now equipped with smartphones that allow many incidents to become top news stories. It is for this reason that journalist must exercise caution when reporting a story and research the information prior to releasing the information. The rapid release of information also creates a competition among journalists to release the information first.   Accuracy and truth should never be sacrificed for how rapidly a story can be released as stated in the code of ethics from the Society of Professional Journalists. Journalist must be trained to seek the truth of the story first. This will reinforce the integrity of the story and the reporter of the story. https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp https://www.youtube.co...