Advanced technology in digital media has evolved news collection, editing, and reporting across the United States. A visible move that has been adopted in the new media is the use of social networks in news gathering and storytelling. The evolutionary steps have seen news reporting transform, whereby news channeled through social networks reach millions of people across the globe. The social networks media format is important because social media users make up 82% of the total U.S population (Statista, 2021). The shift of a more significant population to social networks has a great impact on news gathering.
The social network is a contemporary media format that allows news reporters to have unlimited access to their target audiences. Journalists can get closer to the material and narrative topics that matter to their audience. Compared to traditional journalism, the use of social networks in news gathering has drastically expanded the field of media and journalism. An example of a trending story is the murder of George Floyd, which is believed to be a racially motivated killing (Fink, 2021). The story got international popularity through social networks trending in most countries with the hashtag ‘black lives matter’ on Twitter and Facebook (Fink, 2021). The story is an example of how social networks add to news reporting and analysis.
A traditional report by the New York Times news report is more detailed and provides an in-depth analysis of the case compared to social networks. This can be attributed to conventional journalism follow-ups with the court, family, friends, medical autopsy reports, and eyewitnesses of the incidence. Generally, social networks contributed significantly to the development of the story. The media users are considered active participants because of their direct contribution to news gathering and storytelling.
In conclusion, the evolution and use of social networks in reporting activities such as news collection and distribution present various advantages and threats that must be considered. Audiences may become active participants in activities that impact their lives in society by using interactive technologies. In the modern digitally transformed media industry, the objective use of interactive social networks in media gathering and processing is unavoidable in news organizations.
References
Fink, S., (2021). George Floyd’s Cause of Death Is Crucial in Trial. Forensic Pathologists Explain. [Online] Nytimes.com.
Pettengill, J. (2020). Social Media and Digital Storytelling for Social Good. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 9(1), 275-281.
Statista. (2021). Social media usage in U.S. | Statista.