A long-time journalist friend after a prolonged marathon of playing with words and scribbling hundreds of stories on national and international events had a nagging doubt early in the morning and raised a question to the “uncles and aunties” of WhatsApp Panchayat. As another journalist veteran, Ravish Kumar, calls it WhatsApp University.
“Sadly, social media has become a primary source of information across all departments in the journalism profession. Media was the platform through which athletes got to be known. Now live television brings them home. And the athletes’ social media handles are a direct connection with their fans. Media is largely feeding off these social media posts. It’s a challenge for media professionals to reinvent themselves and stay relevant.”
Immediately, the salt and pepper grey-haired uncles who frequent the interlocution table early in the mornings took a deep dive into the subject and brought it to shore; What made social media occupy a prime place among media outlets? Why does social media matter?
After “tharjan barjan” (views and counterviews), a salt and pepper mustached ‘uncle’ of the WhatsApp University threw his hat and started narrating his experience. Don’t forget that everybody is an ‘expert’ at the University. If one is wrong, the other does the Fact-checking to prove that he is right.
So one of the uncles, after agreeing to the views and counter views, has finally posted his viewpoint with great difficulty, typing with his two forefingers: “ Social Media has come to stay because of its relevance in digital space as it stems from its ability to transform how information is shared, fact-checked and relationships are built with its instant responses.”
What made social media so powerful that it had sidelined all other sources of information channels? In the age of the internet and fast penetration of mobiles, social media has become relevant and redefined how people communicate, share information, and engage with the world.
More than anything else, the platforms provide instantaneous access to a global audience. Anyone with an internet connection can connect, share, and engage, making it a powerful tool for global communication and interaction.
Applications like Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram groups became critical in connecting people, erasing physical boundaries of the world, and facilitating platforms for exchange of ideas, culture, news, and views. A media journalist after having served for over three decades said, “The ability to disseminate information in real-time is a game changer. This has made the mainstream media irrelevant.”
Another veteran sports journalist who covered almost all international sporting events, shot back, “Consider the sentence is the truth or even half-truth; mainstream editors and media owners need to find ways to remain relevant. Their response to the challenge that social media brings along will be critical to the future of traditional media in remaining mainstream media rather than becoming a subset or extension of social media.”
The comment of media irrelevance, raises several questions: What about the essential ingredients of ground reporting and quality of journalism? It raises an important concern about the quality of journalism being compromised when media outlets rely heavily on social media rather than conducting ground reporting.
Quality of journalism relies on investigative reporting, fact-checking, and unbiased analysis. When the end user gets the same masala on his social media platform like hot noodles and sauce, why should one depend on mainstream media? Is an individual hooked onto the handle or application because of his perspective that it is authentic and credible? It is an increase in subscriptions that has made social media relevant.
A research paper on social media: An innovative educational tool by Gitanjali Kalia of Chikara University proved its hypothesis valid, stating “social media has opened up a vast platform and can be used for many educational purposes’. This isn’t possible without the credibility and authenticity of the handles, experts, and subscribers. It also reiterates that users are only exposed to information that confirms their existing beliefs. Which might be biased or misinformed. But then the fact-checkers are quick in deciphering such narratives.
This raises a question; do you get quality journalism on social media? The answer would be: NO. But immediacy is what makes all the difference to the followers. Agreed. “There was a time when editors would look at the gallery of news television channels and decide the front-page layout. Now X or social media trends decide what the paper reports.”
It is pertinent to mention that social media is a preferred choice now. Unequivocally, it can be described as social media has come to stay as it allows direct communication between influencers, public figures, politicians, celebrities, athletes, and audiences, bypassing traditional media filters. Further, it has become a primary source of updates and personal messages, attracting audiences who prefer unfiltered content.
What makes social media unique compared to all other modes of communication is that it integrates text, images, graphics, video, and live streams and the validation from followers, friends, and strangers can cause the brain to release dopamine, the chemical in your brain that’s tied to the reward center. The design and variety of sites geared toward keeping you engaged, entertained, and enlightened, it’s easy for many people to struggle with self-control and overuse the applications. Does this versatility outperform mainstream media?
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