On Social Media Propaganda Spreads Faster than the truth
1.Please select one of the following articles and analyze the info presented. What is your biggest takeaway from that article?
The biggest takeaway is the concept that as it says in the article, professional journalists are no longer the gatekeepers to the public sphere, it seems professional journalists must work to carve their role in symbiosis with the public. Perhaps this will be for the best, I do hope, but I do not see a way for journalists to survive in direct competition and contrast to public social media. This is not my idea of what is best, but it is what seems to be happening.
When I see a news story in social media, I always seek out the story in mainstream media to verify. I prefer to read a story from three sources before I fully form my opinion.
2. Rule #1. Journalism first, technology second
Technology is, and will always be, changing. Our journalism core values do not. News judgment and ethics are key, no matter if journalism is in the form of pixels or paper or whatever. The point to all of this – printed word, Flash interactives, video documentaries, visualized data, social media, etc. – is not the tool. Let’s be clear; the point is serving the community by helping inform citizens in a democratic society.
It’s the people and their stories, not the databases and Twitter followers.
We use these powerful tools to help advance our journalism, not replace it. Got it? Good.
This is the rule that I find to be most important likely due to the fact that I am annoyed with social media and have been since day one. I see the way it is shaping humanity, and we are all in for an illiterate world of hurt if we don’t start rebelling.
Rule #2. If your mom says tweets she loves you, check it out
This is basic Journalism 101, and it applies to old-school and new media alike. Whether you get an in-person tip or a Twitter message (it’s okay to call it a tweet, y’all), it is not fact. It’s the start of the reporting process, not the end of it. If you get lazy and not fact-check, you’ll get burned. Remember, all we have is credibility – our word – it takes a lot of time and hard work to build up credibility, but no time to lose it.
This is the rule that resonates with me most; this is how I do everything. I read something, and before I adhere it to my knowledge base, I always check, double-check, and my golden rule is to find three sources. So this one was my personal favorite.