Social Media and Journalism

Bill Gates on Social Media and Journalism

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/bronstein/detail?entry_id=61674

Bill Gates has found himself an avid Tweeter and of course, has also succumbed to the ways of Facebook. However, this is a very recent development. As an avid Techie, who is known for being on top of his game when it comes to modern technology, he realized the importance of Social Media much later than most people. He is often seen re-tweeting articles written by prominent journalists from renowned publications. The reason? “That anybody can publish, that overall is a very good thing, the fact that you can search and find things is a very good thing.” What is most interesting about Gate’s interview regarding Social Media and journalism is how he realized that Social Media is a thing of the future and so, it is important for everyone including “heavy duty techies” to get involved now because it is constantly evolving.

Harnessing Social Media

http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=4860

Traditionally, journalists and their jobs were simple. Pitch a story, write, edit and publish. Most job titles too were clear-cut: writer, contributor, editor and so on. Now however, with the introduction of Social Media, most writers find themselves having to contribute not only to the publication but also to their publications Social Media portal. And so, actual positions and groups are now being implemented into most publication houses. These people basically handle the Social Media sector of a publication. It is their job to ensure every article is tweeted, Facebook pages are updated and so on. A well known Social Media editor in the article says, “We are very conscious that we are kind of intruders into social media, and for the news to be there, we need to be doing it right. We need to be respectful of the medium and not just put links everywhere.” This is interesting because as journalist, I always believe that any published article of mine should and must be tweeted and posted on Facebook. But I learned that this is not the case.

i-Pad Newspaper

http://mashable.com/2010/11/21/the-daily-ipad-journalism/

You know Social Media is headed places when Rupert Murdoch decides to indulge in an i-Pad-only newspaper. Titled “The Daily” his newspaper will be able exclusively to i-Pad users for a meager 0.99 cents per day. His idea of a “digital future” starts immediately with news and thus, his idea of taking journalism to the next level is one that you would think, would have come to someone immediately but obviously didn’t. “He realizes more than his competitors that the future of news isn’t in propping up print publications, but creating truly immersive digital experiences. He may very well be creating the template that brings other newspapers into a profitable digital age.” This is a key idea. The digital age is really journalism in the future and thus, the idea of a newspaper solely for an i-pad seems revolutionary.