How Social Media Is Transforming Journalism  Practice – Expert

Social Media has been described as a revolutionary and liberal of journalism practice around the globe in the 21st Century.

 

This was disclosed by Comrade Ismail Aniemu in a lecture he delivered during a train the trainers  seminar for the Association of Maritime Journalists of Nigeria executives  (AMJON) in Apapa on Wednesday.

 

In the lecture titled, “Role of Social Media in Journalism Practice”, Aniemu noted that the advent of social media in our world has made it more easier for anyone to become a reporter at anytime from any where and making wide impact.

 

He insisted that it no longer a matter whether persons reporting are trained in journalism practice or not.

 

According to the Journal.NG magazine publisher, while social media practice has its low side like dissemination of fake news, it has digitalised the practice of journalism either as  a career or pastime hobby.

 

The practice, he noted has taken journalism to the street, adding that:”Everywhere is a newsroom, everyone given the opportunity to be the reporter, editor and publisher”.

 

On the importance of social media in journalism,he said  “At a face value, journalists not only benefit from the exposure that digital environment brings, but also have unlimited amount of information available at their finger tips.

 

As reputation a builder, Aniemu opined that it can be difficult to imagine a society without social media, pointing out that journalists had to break boundaries in their field or win major accolades to have good reputation.

 

The Maritime resource person also highlighted, the challenges social media could pose for quakes in journalism practice such as  Fake News, Unethical Practices, Mob Journalism and Regulatory Impediments.

 

This challenges include cyber crime offenses when a fake practitioner is caught  marlinnig innocent people which attracts maximum of 2 years jail team or two million Naira or both.

 

Details of Ismail Aniemu’s  paper presentation at AMJON’S excos train the trainers lecture read thus:

 

“While some journalists tend to isolate their practice from social media it is getting more convincing that social media and journalism are closely attached.

 

Social media has revolutionised and liberalised the practice of journalism worldwide making it easier for news to be reported by anyone at anytime from anywhere and making wide impacts.

 

It doesn’t even matter if the person reporting is trained or employed to practice journalism and news reporting.

 

While it has low sides like dissemination of fake news, it has digitised the practice of journalism either as a career, pastime or hobby.

 

Social media has taken Journalism to the street. Everywhere is a newsroom, everyone given the opportunity to be the reporter, editor and publisher

 

In fact, we would go as far as to say that social media has changed the journalistic field forever and gave the capacity to practice to anyone with access to the internet. This is the level to which it has liberalised and revolutionised the practice.

Importance of social media in journalism

 

At face value, journalists not only benefit from the exposure that digital environments bring, but also have unlimited amounts of information available at their fingertips.

 

Moreover, there are millions of conversations taking place over a multitude of platforms, meaning that those working in this field need to be online to stay in the loop.

 

On the not-so-bright side, the Internet and social media are polluted with a ton of fake news and misinformation. As everything that spills into the digital void can’t be fact-checked, it can be difficult to separate the facts from the falsities. However, despite these hindrances, social media has done a lot of good for the journalistic field.

 

Social media helps journalists build a reputation:

Although it can be difficult to imagine a society without social media, it was not that long ago when journalists had to break boundaries in their field or win major accolades to have a good reputation.

 

Nowadays, it’s a lot easier to make a name for yourself due to how fast information travels online. You have the ease of sharing a news story as soon as it breaks or as soon as you write a piece covering it, at least.

 

As a source of information and knowledge for your followers, you can regularly share your pieces and build a following of loyal readers along the way. After all, most publications have writer profiles that include their social media @ handles these days anyway.

 

Although, it doesn’t have to be strictly business on their social platforms. Journalists can use social media to foster a more intimate connection with their followers. They can share insights on trending topics, chat with their readers regarding their content or liaise with those also working in their field.

 

The more a journalist engages on social media, the greater likelihood that they will make a name for themselves both in their industry and with the public at large.

Social media allows publications to expand their reach.

 

These days, everyone is on social media — which means that the number of consumers you could possibly reach is limitless. After all, it is predicted that there are going to be 3.96 billion social media users worldwide in 2022.

Given this wide net of potential readers, journalists and publications have the opportunity to reach thousands (if not millions) more readers by simply sharing their content on social media.

 

Twitter, for example, is considered to be the complementary social platform for journalists and publications because it enables them to share breaking news as soon as it happens. For this reason, many consumers use this platform to follow news stories or to chip in with their own two cents when something is trending.

 

By sharing accurate and authentic content that users crave, you can expose your work to a whole new world of readers and expand your reach over time. Say hello to journalism’s next big thing!

 

Social media opens the door for more diverse conversations.

As mentioned, everyone and their mother is active on at least one social media platform. This means that these digital environments are populated by diverse groups of people who enrich the online space with their unique perspectives.

 

As a journalist, you probably know how important it is to be learning constantly and expanding your levels of awareness. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook are highly discursive and also widely used, making it the place to be for journals

 

Why do we say this? Well, because of the diversity that social media brings, journalists can use it to ask questions and learn about different cultures, experiences and opinions’.