http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wamc/local-wamc-957944.mp3
Albany, NY – In today's Academic Minute, Dr. Claudette Artwick of Washington and Lee University examines the traditional media's evolving use of social media.
Dr. Claudette Artwick is an associate professor of journalism and mass communication at Washington and Lee University where she teaches courses on electronic and digital journalism. Her research interests include the role of new and social media in shaping public discourse and the use of social media by opinion leaders. She holds a Ph.D. from the University of Washington.
Dr. Claudette Artwick - Journalism and Social Media
From the shootings in Tucson, Ariz., to the revolution in Egypt, social media appear to be changing the way breaking news is gathered, disseminated, and consumed. Many of us now get our news first in 140-word bites, and journalists are learning to navigate this information ecosystem.
Because of Facebook and Twitter, we're hearing the events in Egypt being labeled Revolution 2.0. How much of a role did they really play? Certainly, the strength of the Egyptian people was paramount in making change. Yet, the marriage of technology and social behavior did play a role in the revolution. This phenomenon of "technosociality" can be seen at many levels, including people organizing protests, media covering the story, governments reacting to the uprising and more.
Journalists including CNN's Anderson Cooper and Nick Kristof of the New York Times tweeted the revolution. And Al Jazeera in English gained recognition for its coverage. The Egyptian people themselves contributed to the coverage on Twitter, with reporters confirming and relaying their messages. And an emerging form of journalism called news curation came of age during Egypt's revolution. NPR's Andy Carvin spent 18 days pulling together sources and his own experiences to tell the story in as many as 400 tweets a day. His coverage inspired many followers to make donations to local public radio stations.
While the competitive spirit among journalists will never disappear, we can now see more of a cooperative effort in our search to report the truth. The news media have a great responsibility, and it's more important than ever recognize the potential of the social media, and use it wisely.