Social Media Influencing Journalism

This is the era of social media; where the journalists have been affected by new technologies, which has got a huge impact towards the working and practice of journalism. Journalism, which plays an indispensable role in notifying the people of the nation, who are a pillar of public life and pluralistic, democratic societies. They are a source where the general public rely on them for the facts and quality information.

The past working of journalism was usually practiced without the involvement of the public and their point of view. Over the years, there have been different factors, which have come up leading for a huge impact on journalism. But “Social Media” is one of the factors which has been significantly influencing the working of journalism. Social Media or in other words new Internet technologies has changed the business of journalism, where the journalists are no more the gatekeeper’s but sharing the news in the public where social media is playing a big role; for example:

•  Blurred the difference between opinion and fact
• Anyone can be a journalist; citizen journalism

These are few ways through which the social media has replaced traditional journalism. Now a day’s this topic has been taken into account by the organizations like, The Guardian just published an article on, “How social networking is changing journalism”, even the Oxford Social Media Convention focused the impact of social media's impact towards the working of journalism. 

With the drastic use of social media it has got a detailed look on how the public relations and the journalists communicate.  To get maximum reach towards the depth of the happenings around, journalists must engage with the different forms of social networking sites.  

• One of the biggest news that broke via social media, “ The 1^st person to tweet about Osama bin Laden raid was a neighbor who, while complaining about the noise next door on Twitter, unknowingly tweeted about one of the "biggest news" stories of the decade. 

On the other hand, online news sources aren’t always reliable or 100% fact.

Social media being a source of spreading the news with speed doesn’t mean the data it carries is truly factual.  

Old or past information is circulated on social sites which causes an environment of unnecessary fear in society.   

At times the people who post on the social networking sites become the source for the reporters.

Though,“Reading news online” is an increasingly important Internet activity. In some OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development) countries, more than half of the population read newspapers online.

• Political Parties in India especially BJP used social media during the Loksabha elections in a big way. This can be useful for few but harmful for many. With such an effective tool one can malign any one within minutes. Hence needs to be handled properly. Looking at these changes, Election Commission had made it mandatory to fill details of Social Media Accounts in recently conducted Maharashtra polls.

“Social media was an add-on originally,
 a little something extra you used to do,
 now its intrinsic to everyday life, its completely woven into the newsroom."