Journalism is not dead, it is evolving.
I think it is fitting to have my first blog post on my social media blog focus on social media’s role in Journalism and PR. Social media began as a way to connect and network with others via the Internet. Today, social media users consume information at an unbelievable speed and quantity, and at this point, pretty much everyone (who is capable) is on or is aware of social media and it is used for countless purposes. The purpose most relevant for this blog, is its role in Journalism and PR.
According to Robert Wynne, in the Public Relations industry, social media can be used as a sort of amplifier of information and I believe this to be true. People are generally moving away from traditional media as a source for their news and information, and more and more rely on social media, not only for social reasons, but also as an exchange of information. Social media users become active participants in the news cycle. I notice this when I look at Twitter, and their new-ish feature “Twitter moments,” which highlights newsworthy moments on twitter. It compiles information from respected news outlets as well as tweets from regular twitter users concerning these issues. This just shows how social media platforms create an environment for everyone to contribute something to the creation of news.
As far as the potential for journalists and PR professionals to continue their practice, I think there is great potential in social media. PR professionals have the ability to reach their specific targeted audiences directly with social media platforms, and at great volumes and frequency. I also read about a new profession known as a Social Media Reporter or (SMR). The goal of this job is to bring classic news reporting to a broader audience via social media; this provides a level of immediacy and accessibility to the news these journalists report on.
Just because traditional forms of media are dying out, does not mean this profession is. People will always need a source of news and companies will always need someone for their public outreach, we simply need to evolve with the technology.
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