Facebook is the social media website that has swept the
world. However, it isn’t just about seeing what your high school buddies are up
to and clicking through endless pictures of your friends. Facebook has found
it’s way into becoming a news source and a way to report on current events.
When Hurricane Sandy ravaged New York and cut out the power,
people were left disconnected and in disarray. What was the storm doing in
other places? What is happening with other towns? What is happening in my town?
Facebook came to the rescue and allowed a solution to be developed.
In Oceanside,
most of the town was without power and could not find out what was going on
around them. A Facebook page was created titled Oceanside NY Hurricane Sandy Updates. The page permitted the community
to come together and provide information for one another. They posted about
what stores were open, what restaurants were running, what areas had power, and
where people could find help. The social media site has lead community members
to reporting on their own situation.
It is not uncommon for Facebook to break news to many users.
Whether it is finding out about a tragedy in Newtown or which celebrity won a
Golden Globe, Facebook is often the first place many people see this news.
Think about it, where was the last piece of news you learned
about from? Did you read it in a newspaper? Watch it on the news? You may just
surprise yourself and realize you may have seen it in your Facebook newsfeed.
Check out this video:
Facebook Newsfeed: The New Face of Journalism?
Your post raises two really important questions, Heather--one, How do we define news? and two, What does it mean to be an informed citizen? They are not exactly new questions, but in light of the arrival of Facebook and other new media in our lives, they've taken on new importance. Is it acceptable for us to define "news" largely in terms of people and events that matter to us and that directly affect our lives? Does doing so make us provincial--more concerned about what's happening on the local scene (however we define "local") than what's taking place elsewhere on the planet? Or has that always been the case to some extent and we just haven't noticed or acknowledged it? After all, not so long ago, American journalism focused greatly on Western affairs--events here in the U.S. and in Europe--and paid little attention, comparatively speaking, to the rest of the planet. Is the fact that Third World countries were not (until recently) covered extensively evidence of the mainstream media's tunnel vision? Some would say that's indeed the case. And if so, maybe people immersed in the world of Facebook are just a reflection of an attitude that's been present all along.
ReplyDeleteAs for the second question, how do we begin to define the notion of an informed citizen? Is it essential that we have a sense of the larger world--at least something beyond our immediate sphere? Does it make us more interesting and insightful people? Does knowing about life in Asia and Africa (and other spots) make us better human beings? Do we have an obligation to be global citizens? I'd say yes to all of these questions. I think we do have an obligation to be aware of the world (including the world beyond our immediate surroundings) as well as our impact on it. Possessing that awareness may be more critical now, in fact, than ever before. The world is, after all, a smaller place.
So it's terrific to be able to keep up with friends, classmates, family, and others with whom we have some direct contact. Such relationships are important, to be sure. But in the process of forming stronger conections to those in our "world," I worry that we could easily become oblivious to those whose lives seem far away, geographically, politicaly, and culturally, from ours. That's something none of us can afford to do.
Ooops--that should be conNections and politicalLy. A world-class typist I am not.
ReplyDelete