Wall posts and status updates have changed the way we communicate information. Facebook has, on so many fronts, affected the way we communicate. Instead of giving your old friend a call to catch up and see how he's doing, you can just post on his wall. Or instead of waiting to talk to your best friend about if she indeed has a new boyfriend, you can just check out her profile and read the relationship status. One of the great appeals of Facebook is that all of the latest news from your friends is handy at your finger tips.
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Some may think that the 'news' side of Facebook doesn't go beyond the realm of high school gossip. But the truth is that Facebook has become a source (albeit, maybe not the best one) for local, national, and even global news stories. Just as one example, after the earthquakes hit Haiti, there were constant posts and updates via Facebook about the crisis. In the wake of the event, among people's thoughts and concerns were news updates and ways to get involved by donating time or money. In fact, it was through a friend's Facebook post that I found out about the occurrence of the second devastating quake.
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Facebook as a 'new' news source has caught the attention of the journalistic news media industry, including CNN. An article from The Guardian on March 10th indicates that Facebook is seen as competition, in the sense that CNN and Facebook are both places where people derive news information. And the fear is that more and more people are going to the latter without bothering to go to the former. Jon Klein, president of CNN, expressed concern that a good portion of the millions of Facebook users are now turning to it for news to some extent rather than merely traditional news outlets. "People are depending on their friends as news sources," he says. CNN has a commitment to, in Klein's words, be "the most trusted news source." But sites like Facebook are jeopardizing the mantra of CNN and others to deliver "straight news" by leading many people to take status updates at their word.
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Facebook is an interesting phenomenon because (as is obvious) it connects us to the goings-on of our friends. It allows us to find out at any time and from anywhere about what sociologists Harvey Molotch and Marilyn Lester call 'private events.' But, because the world of Facebook is vast and ever-growing, it's no longer simply an outlet for sharing private events (if it ever was soley that). It's also becoming an acceptable source for, on some level, news about 'public events.' News, whether true or not, can spread like wild fire through Facebook's network. It's also interesting to note that Facebook can be a source for generating interest about events - whether it's furthering existing public events or creating new ones. And, in as much as Facebook is a home of news promoters, it's also home to millions of news consumers. That, according to Klein, is where the danger lies.
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In their article about "News as Purposive Behavior," Molotch and Lester also discuss the fact that the news media shape our perception of reality by changing how we view the events that make up that reality: the way we remember the events and even if we remember them at all. NEws journalism also shapes our view of reality by telling us what stories are important. If it's not in the news, then we tend not to think about it.
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The bottom line is that we need to make sure that we're getting news from reliable sources. Try to find news sources that you can trust. And be extra careful when reading the 'headlines' on Facebook.
.
Some may think that the 'news' side of Facebook doesn't go beyond the realm of high school gossip. But the truth is that Facebook has become a source (albeit, maybe not the best one) for local, national, and even global news stories. Just as one example, after the earthquakes hit Haiti, there were constant posts and updates via Facebook about the crisis. In the wake of the event, among people's thoughts and concerns were news updates and ways to get involved by donating time or money. In fact, it was through a friend's Facebook post that I found out about the occurrence of the second devastating quake.
.
Facebook as a 'new' news source has caught the attention of the journalistic news media industry, including CNN. An article from The Guardian on March 10th indicates that Facebook is seen as competition, in the sense that CNN and Facebook are both places where people derive news information. And the fear is that more and more people are going to the latter without bothering to go to the former. Jon Klein, president of CNN, expressed concern that a good portion of the millions of Facebook users are now turning to it for news to some extent rather than merely traditional news outlets. "People are depending on their friends as news sources," he says. CNN has a commitment to, in Klein's words, be "the most trusted news source." But sites like Facebook are jeopardizing the mantra of CNN and others to deliver "straight news" by leading many people to take status updates at their word.
.
Facebook is an interesting phenomenon because (as is obvious) it connects us to the goings-on of our friends. It allows us to find out at any time and from anywhere about what sociologists Harvey Molotch and Marilyn Lester call 'private events.' But, because the world of Facebook is vast and ever-growing, it's no longer simply an outlet for sharing private events (if it ever was soley that). It's also becoming an acceptable source for, on some level, news about 'public events.' News, whether true or not, can spread like wild fire through Facebook's network. It's also interesting to note that Facebook can be a source for generating interest about events - whether it's furthering existing public events or creating new ones. And, in as much as Facebook is a home of news promoters, it's also home to millions of news consumers. That, according to Klein, is where the danger lies.
.
In their article about "News as Purposive Behavior," Molotch and Lester also discuss the fact that the news media shape our perception of reality by changing how we view the events that make up that reality: the way we remember the events and even if we remember them at all. NEws journalism also shapes our view of reality by telling us what stories are important. If it's not in the news, then we tend not to think about it.
.
The bottom line is that we need to make sure that we're getting news from reliable sources. Try to find news sources that you can trust. And be extra careful when reading the 'headlines' on Facebook.
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