Social media spreads news faster than digital media, but there are some limitations to the process. You have to be a professional journalist to broadcast news events on traditional media. But when you want to put something up on social media, you only need an chatting app. And since there are so many free chat messenger available online, almost everyone with a smartphone has an app. For this reason, news circulated on social media is mostly inaccurate. Social media has acquired a reputation for not being a very reliable source of information. Below are some of the ways that journalism has been affected, for better or for worse, by social media:
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Real journalists aren’t acknowledged:
On social media, individuals behave like journalists when they don’t have an educational degree or professional qualification. Often, you find strange and shocking bits of news on social media. It is difficult to tell the difference between real and fake. The work of real journalists, backed by concrete proof, is neglected. On social media, the audience gets to see and hear what pleases them, and they do not feel the need to explore further.
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Spreading hatred for the opposition party:
Social media has made it easier for people to spread hatred for certain political parties. People casually come up with hate speeches and post them on their walls. Some political agencies hire social media agents to actively speak in their support and speak against the opposition parties. Many rumors are spread through social media using free chat messenger. False information about certain political parties can affect people’s voting decisions.
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Genuine mediums have been shoved on a side:
You’ll notice that now there are barely any families who watch the news on their televisions except for elderly members of the family. Youngsters and adults are too busy scrolling through their social media news feeds. They are happy getting news updates through social media and aren’t too concerned with who they’re coming from. There has been a significant decrease in the number of people reading articles on websites or online magazines.
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Individuals constantly manipulate information:
On social media, all individuals have the power to create their captions for the posts they ‘share’ or ‘forward. The person who created the post is probably the best judge of what it was meant to convey. But people share it on their walls with different interpretations, and the real meaning gets lost along the way. It is somewhat like a game of Chinese Whispers, where the final message turns into some alien gibberish.
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Conspiracy to get rid of journalism:
Social media, to some, seems like a planned conspiracy to replace other more reliable sources of information. It is like a virtual playground where anyone can say anything in favor of, or against anything or anyone. You don’t need a license or even an ID card to use social media. All you need is a smartphone, WIFI connection, and a chatting app. You don’t even need to think twice before posting something online because you can delete it the very next moment.
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Incorrect words and grammatical phrases:
With the kind of news floating around on social media, not only is there a reliability issue but there is also often an issue with grammar. Professional journalists work on several drafts before presenting the final piece. They often use spell and grammar checking software to edit their articles to make their piece perfect. While sharing posts and comments on social media, many people end up using incorrect words or phrases because there is no grammatical check.
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Information not backed by evidence:
Social media might have emerged as a platform to liberate individuals, and the purpose has been met to a great extend but there are some limitations. Social media provides individuals with the kind of freedom and independence that many of them are not equipped to handle. The job of a real journalist requires extensive research for gathering accurate facts. But people can casually post their opinions on social media without proper research.
Use your chatting app to tell your friends and family that they shouldn’t believe every bit of news they hear blindly. Use your free chat messenger to help your online friends realize they are all playing a part in influencing the masses. They should do proper research before they pass judgment on another person. Encourage everyone in your circle to subscribe to an online newspaper or magazine. Download NEEO Messenger and create your posts using a variety of features. You become more popular on social media when you put up original posts. And if you plan to speak against, or for, a public figure or anyone else for that matter, make sure you back your words with sufficient evidence.