Meeting the Media Moment Ethically

In thinking about the relationship between social media, journalists, and the larger audience, I want to highlight a quote from Anthony Adornato's “Mobile and Social Media Journalism: A Practical Guide." Adornato notes how "newsrooms today must meet the needs of news consumers who are flocking to mobile devices and social media." In a largely digital world, it is nearly impossible to not be on social media in some way, shape, or form. The question is, where does news consumption fall in that equation.

According to a New York Times Article, research indicates more people are receiving news via social media, but are also trying to limit how much they are engaging with the continuous news cycle. In today's society, with the intensity of news surrounding gun violence, climate change, systemic injustice, and overall uncertainty about the state of the world, constant intake of information is creating fear and anxiety, which journalists cannot ignore. In order to deliver for audiences in an impactful way, journalists must understand where their audiences are at and how to approach content creation. Relating this to the impact of social media, I was interested in the conversation of the role that social media giants such as Facebook play in the creation and distribution of news.

In a capitalist economy like the United States, money and power creates influence. With that, tech giants have significant power, access, and influence over what message is being portrayed and widely shared to the masses. . Adornato noted how "Facebook offered news outlets as much as $3 million per year to license headlines and previews of their articles in the News Tab." When we put the control of information in the hands of the wealthy and powerful, the stories of those oppressed under said wealth and power are buried, which is incredibly dangerous.

This creates a delicate balance of ensuring that important stories are not being held back and also that we are not inundating our audiences to the point where they check out entirely. or allowing stakeholders to create the narratives on social media, especially when this is the main source of news for many. This tightrope walk requires journalists to be transparent and intentional about the why behind their stories, prioritizing the people over profit. How do you believe journalists should approach this balance and what changes do you believe are necessary to adapt to this changing media landscape?