Dr Asangba Tzudir
In the evolution of news and information, social media ‘news’ has come as an important source of news and information. And with the rise in social media platforms, the news template and delivery has changed a lot starting from how news is reported to suit mass consumption.
The ‘closeness’ and ‘easy to reach’ facet of social media platforms has brought the world closer to get news which creates awareness about events happening around the world. In the evolution of social media and which is very rapid and interactive, even journalists the world over uses these social media platforms to share important live news and information. So long as internet is in operation, Social media will grow and progress, as it caters to a larger number of audiences.
The ‘Real-time reporting’ so also the ability to cover niche topics is what makes social media journalism popular where various diverse perspectives on different grassroots issues are shared which normal media houses often cannot have access. However, it is not without certain concerns and challenges within which social media journalism operates.
In this age of information technology, misinformation, fake news, and breach of privacy are commonplace, and the rapidness in which any fake information spreads is such that it reaches many individuals, groups or communities within seconds and this has created so much of mistrust. This calls for application of caution when it comes to social media news. As such, the most challenging aspect is to maintain trust because it is very difficult to regain trust once it is lost.
One challenge in social media journalism is verification of information. It becomes very pressing in case of live reporting where there hardly is any time to verify news or information. This leads to another challenge of misinformation and the need to combat it. One misinformation leads to serious breach of integrity and ethics and the damaging effects it can have on the masses if information is fake or misinformed.
While it is also important to create a balance between speed and accuracy, there is need to take time to ensure that the information is true before it is shared. Sometimes it is much more important to be correct instead of simply being fast.
Otherwise within seconds many people will share it on various social media platforms which is bound to create utter confusion and chaos, and many a time the general public also do not have the mechanism or find it difficult to ascertain whether it is right and wrong. As such, journalists are crunched to act quickly in rectifying any misinformation and to prevent further spread.
Above all, in any profession, honesty is the best policy, and media is no exception to this policy of honesty, and this call for conscious acts otherwise people will question their honesty and integrity towards the profession and to the people. Closely tied to honesty are issues of transparency and accountability and which are interlinked. At the end, honesty will go a long way in giving credibility and trust that is required of the viewers. In the production of news, it goes way beyond business, of profit and loss statement. At stake is the need for conscientizing the masses towards creating a well-informed society.
With its growing popularity, social media journalism is indeed promising because of the many benefits, but the threats presented through misinformation and fake news will always loom large, and the avoidance of which is crucial to maintain trust and credibility.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir writes guest editorial for The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to asangtz@gmail.com)
