State of the Media 2013

Social Media Outposts (Photo credit: the tartanpodcast)

Write a blog post reflecting on what the report’s findings mean to you as a professional and as a consumer. Do the findings reflect what you have observed and experienced in your own life? What does it mean for how you will do your jobs now and in the future?

The latest assignment for my journalism class was to read the State of the Media and discuss my thoughts on it.  After doing so, the only thing I could think about was how lucky I am to be growing up at such an important, pivotal point in journalism.  The “Outliers“, one of my all time favorite books, discusses how the time period people grow up in is what destines them for greatness. For instance, Steve Jobs and Bill Gates grew up at the perfect time for computer innovation.  Now is the perfect time for social media discoveries.

All of the newest social media tools that the “State of the Media” addresses, such as Vine, Pinterest, and the innovations within Facebook, are just the beginning of what is to come.  I grew up with social media. In my early years, I remember dial-up internet and having to wait at least ten minutes just to get on the computer.  Now everything we could ever want  is just a click of a button away.

Right now, journalists using social media are at an important crossroad.  Many of the tools are so new that users don’t really know how to use them.  For instance, in the report it noted that sometimes in an effort to get the news out the fastest, news organizations will release untrue facts.  This was the case with the Sandy Hook shootings when many of the details about the shooter were incorrect.  With the constant introduction of new media innovations, reporting on the web will become more efficient and faster than ever before.

One of the most important things I took from the study was how imperative it is that every journalists know how to use social media.  Even those wanting to be traditional news journalists will need to be well-versed in the latest online medias.  For instance, “The Wall Street Journal’s digital network, told Pew Research that social media drive between 7 and 10 percent of the traffic to WSJ.com on any given day”.  If newspapers want to stay relevant they will need to take advantage of the social media out there.

The one thing it is important to know as a journalist and a consumer is that social media is here to stay.  Staying updated on the latest social media news and sites will help users stay informed, up-to-date, and ahead of the competition.

Related articles

• State of the Media 2013 report finds social media ‘indispensable’ (reportr.net)
• Use of social media for journalistic advantage (rntcblog.wordpress.com)
• Can you make mistakes when it come to Social Media? (melissapenate.com)