The Power of the Media

The media has power. It always has. The media acts as a gatekeeper of information. It decides what stories are important enough to draw attention to and cover. It educates us on these topics and makes us more knowledgeable. In a sense, the media has had the power to tell us what to think about.

But will the media always have this power? Clay Shirky’s book, “Here Comes Everybody” teaches us how there is a dramatic shift in the way we get our information and learn about events occurring in our society.

Social media tools such as blogs and Twitter are becoming increasingly dominant in our society. It seems as though everyone is jumping on the social media tools bandwagon. People are sharing information, pictures, stories, resumes..you name it, social media tools are allowing people to share it!

What Are Social Media Tools, Such As Twitter, Doing to Journalism As We Know It?

I think it is amazing how times are changing and the media networks, such as CNN or “The New York Times,” do not have as much power as they used to have. Many of the big media networks are relying on the blogs, “tweets,” and photographs of ordinary citizens to stay on top of what is occurring in our world. I think this is great because it is forcing the big networks not to be so lazy in its news coverage, to become more competitive, and to disseminate news a quicker manner. I guess the big networks are starting to feel the pressure.

I believe that this shift in the way we get our information about events is going to make us smarter people. More people have blogs and Twitter accounts, so it is obvious that people are writing more. However, they are also reading more. Is it possible that society as we know it is becoming more literate as a result of social media tools?! It seems as though people have more of a desire to be in tune with what is going on with the world.

What is this going to do to journalism? Are these amateur journalists going to force conventional journalists out of the market?