REAL OR FAKE? USING SOCIAL MEDIA AS A SOURCE FOR INFORMATION

“Always question initial assumptions.” ~Bobby Kennedy

 

At least I think that it was Bobby Kennedy who said that.  I read it on a news thread and it was attributed to him. I actually tried to confirm it but couldn’t; nonetheless, I find it to be sage advice.  In today’s world with wide access to multimedia and technology just about anyone can be a reporter, publisher,  or photo journalist. Given this reality, I always seek supporting sources for information found on social media.  I consider traditional media and new media sources that have built a reputation for accuracy. 

 

An example of this was when I was looking for information regarding a possible film trilogy that I like.  As an avid fan of Sex in the City I was curious if a third installment of the film version was in the works.  I found information on several blogs speculating on a Sex in the City 3 and whether it would be a prequel to Carrie and the gang. I only really believed however, what I read on the L.A. Times movie blog, which included lots of the speculation from the other blogs but had the added credibility of direct quotes from Sarah Jessica Parker (one of the film’s stars and executive producers).

 

There have been other exceptions where I got accurate news via a social media channel. One example of this is July 4, 2009.  I was sitting around with my family when I picked up my Blackberry to check Facebook.  There in the news feed was a post from one of my high school friends regarding the murder of former Tennessee Titans player Steve McNair.  I was shocked.  I turned to my aunt for confirmation as she and the late football player have mutual friends.  As it turned out her friends hadn’t yet heard the news so we dismissed it as possibly false. We flipped back and forth between CNN and ESPN looking for confirmation for nearly an hour when CNN reported McNair’s death followed shortly by ESPN.  This was a case where credible information was disseminated faster and accurately through social media.  

Sponsored Content Yea or Nay?

People feel deceived when they realize an article or video is sponsored by a brand, and believe it hurts the digital publisher’s credibility, according to a study.

In recent years, a debate has raged on among publishing and advertising industry insiders over “sponsored content”—more recently called “native advertising” and once known as “advertorial”—the sort of advertising that looks very much like editorial content but is, in fact, directly paid for by an advertiser.

http://fortune.com/2014/07/09/readers-dislike-sponsored-content-native-ads/