TikTok, Twitter, or Facebook?
Person using TikTok / Source: Aubren Villasenor
When I was an intern at The Ithaca Voice, I was fascinated to learn from a group of high schoolers that nearly every single one of them gets their news from Tiktok. As someone who grew up during the rise in social media, it’s been fascinating watching the social media platforms evolve over time to better engage with their audiences. It’s also interesting watching which generation gravitates towards which social media platform; Generation X, Facebook; Millennials, Twitter; Generation Z and Alpha, Tiktok.
Despite the difference in which platforms are used, one thing has remained constant, more people are getting their news from their cellphones and other mobile devices. Within my own life I find it uncommon to sit at a computer and browse the web for my news. I often get my news while I use my phone in bed, scrolling through Instagram or Tiktok.
We are now in an age where anyone can create and publish content. No longer do consumers have to wait for the 6pm news broadcast or daily paper to learn of the latest developments, instead readers can turn to their phones, using Twitter or Tiktok to learn of the latest headlines.
The accessibility of publication has its benefits for professional journalists, as we can use social media to share stories, learn of breaking news and find sources and eyewitnesses to events. It also allows us to connect with our audiences, we can use social media tools, such as instagram stories to get “real life” questions from our followers, among other benefits. I’m curious, where do you get your news from, and why?
While the increase in accessibility of journalism has its benefits, it also fueled misinformation and “yellow journalism”, with hopes of “clickbaiting” the user. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many older Americans fell for conspiracy theories spread on Facebook. With attention spans shrinking due to an increasingly mobile and phone focused world, consumers are less likely to delineate between factual claims and misinformation. This has led many to question the role social media companies play in moderating content and misinformation.
It is clear that social media plays a significant role as a journalist. Nowadays, major media corporations have designated entire teams to social newsgathering, and as a matter of fact, I work for one of those teams. As an intern on NBC’s social newsgathering team, I’m very excited to practice the skills of gathering sources from social media, fact checking claims and then passing those to editorial teams to compile articles and headlines.
