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People often get news on social media (the accuracy of which varies wildly). News organisations recognise this and are trying to adapt their content for these new spaces. However, our data suggests that these networks are dominated by personalities and influencers rather than journalists. This may have an impact on how seriously these platforms take the world’s issues.
Podcasts
Podcasts are a great way to learn a broad range of topics with minimal effort, and many social media experts and influencers have started sharing their tips, insights and strategies through this audio medium. Whether you’re looking for social media news on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, TikTok, or Facebook, there are plenty of podcasts to choose from.
For example, Julie Solomon’s The Influencer Podcast focuses on the business side of influencer marketing. It includes a mix of storytelling from the host, interviews with brand owners and influencers, and advice for budding social media influencers. Another popular podcast is Developer Tea, which covers web design, content creation, and software development for businesses. It also features episodes aimed at increasing online sales and customer awareness through Facebook ads.
Another podcast that provides social media news is Perpetual Traffic, which interviews successful business owners about their social media strategies and success stories. It discusses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat with an emphasis on growing a business using these platforms.
As the popularity of podcasts grows, more and more people are turning to them for their daily dose of social media news. In fact, a recent study by Edison Research revealed that news is the fourth most popular podcast genre among weekly listeners. This is partly due to the fact that news podcasts often break major stories before other traditional media outlets. In addition, they can sometimes offer a more personal and uplifting take on the news than their broadcast counterparts.
Blogs and Articles
While blogs can be a great way to share information quickly and informally, articles are typically more factual and formal. Articles follow a more logical structure and use deductive reasoning to make an argument, often citing external opinions and research to support their claims. Articles also generally go through a longer editorial process, with careful editing, thorough fact-checking and peer review to ensure accuracy and credibility.
Social media platforms tend to have their own blogs, where they post news about new products and features. For example, Twitter’s blog contains a variety of content, including announcements, best practices and tips. Facebook’s business blog contains information about its ads platform, as well as news about its news feed and measurement tools.
Alternatively, you can subscribe to newsletters that curate the top social media news each day. For example, Social Media Current shares a daily roundup of the top news from across all platforms. You can also sign up for newsletters like TechCrunch’s Social Media Week In Review and SmartBrief’s Social Marketing Update to get weekly updates on the latest in social media.
Some bloggers are known for breaking social media news, such as Matt Navarra of The Next Web, who often tweets about new Facebook or Instagram features. Other writers, such as Josh Constine of TechCrunch, write in-depth analyses of social media products and share their insights with readers.
Social Media Platforms
With so many of us now relying on social media to get our news, it’s important to consider the reliability of these platforms. People’s Facebook and Twitter feeds can be flooded with content from all kinds of sources, from news outlets and politicians to ordinary users and alternative voices.
Among the most popular social media sites used for news, about a third of Americans regularly use Facebook and YouTube. Other popular sites for news include Instagram, Reddit and TikTok. When it comes to political perspectives, regular news users of YouTube and Facebook tend to be more Democratic than those who only use Twitter.
In general, most of those who rely on social media for news are skeptical about the accuracy of what they’re reading. About six-in-ten Americans who get their news on social media say they expect it to be largely inaccurate. This sentiment has remained roughly the same since 2018, when similar percentages of Americans reported similarly.
Most Americans who rely on social media for their news say it doesn’t make much difference in how well they understand current events. They also may not be getting the whole picture, as some studies have shown that social media users can create a filter bubble in which their feed only contains information that supports their own views. Moreover, those who frequently rely on social media for news have trouble distinguishing between trustworthy and untrustworthy news.
Other Sources
It’s no secret that social media has become a major source of news for many people. Not only is breaking news often reported first on Twitter and Facebook, but even smaller networks like TikTok and Instagram can deliver the latest developments to their users instantly.
This accelerated news cycle can be a good thing, as it allows people to stay informed about what’s happening in the world in real-time. However, it’s important to remember that not all news is created equal. While some sources will provide accurate information, others may be more likely to present sensational and biased news in order to get a larger following.
The problem with this is that it can create an echo chamber where people only see the stories that agree with their own views. This can be a problem, especially if a person has different political beliefs from their friends or family members.
Another issue is that people relying on social media for news can be exposed to false narratives and even outright fake news. While this doesn’t necessarily have a negative effect on a person, it can cause people to doubt the credibility of traditional sources. This can be a serious problem in today’s society, as the truth is increasingly hard to find. The best way to avoid this is to use multiple sources for your news.
