Summary of our Social Media experience

 

Working for our social media blog was indeed a great fun as well as a valuable experience. From the very beginning the process from research to presentation all aspects of social media blog was very interesting. It was a great example of mutual coordination and cooperation among the group members. It also provided us with an opportunity to share our views and experiences not only among the group members but the response and comments received on our posts. The real feedback on our blog from our friends, colleagues and fellow students is indeed a great learning on our part. Collective presentation of our research was also really of great worth.  Overall it was a wonderful experience which should help us in our professional journalistic life.

Iqbal Yousafzai

 

Social media

 

In the traditional world the news organizations had to give out information, and people would consume it. But simply making information available is not enough for today’s public. Today’s audiences expect to be able to choose what they read, and most believe they should be able to contribute content and opinions, too. This shift is generally called the social media.

Basically social media use internet-and mobile-based tools for sharing and discussing information among human beings. It has not only benefited journalists but has also helped give individuals a way to speak up to the world.

More and more people prefer reading newspapers online due to the online version being global, free and around forever. If most of the consumers are on line, it is better to reach them online. Traditional media is slowly becoming history. Journalists are now making a good use of social media to engage their audience.

Iqbal Yousafzai

Twitter conversation from Friday 10th February

UCFsocialmedia UCF Social Media

Continue the converstation on Twitter #ucfsocialmedia, the blog http://bit.ly/fwR2vX and UCF social media facebook page….

katycreates Katy Creates

@Clare_Amy Social media can bring journalists, businesses and the local community together to do good – e.g. Twestival #ucfsocialmedia

AdamWestbrook AdamWestbrook

…
@sylentalarm that depends on laziness/resources of news orgs. SocMed has potential to make journalism far better than it is #ucfsocialmedia

Clare_Amy Clare Salisbury

So what’s next for online social media? #UCFsocialmedia

Clare_Amy Clare Salisbury

@mojo90 I agree, impartiality is vital to aim for. So we are searchers and gatherers in this great big conversation i guess #UCFsocialmedia

Information and social media

Accessibility to internet has brought about radical changes in terms of information and communication. Due to these changes now it is so easy to get online.

Social networking sites like Twitter, Face Book, LinkedIn, foursquare, MySpace etc   bring more and more people online, especially the youngsters.  Twitter in particular is used by journalists as an outlet to release breaking news because it is not only instant but can also effectively reach to a huge number of audiences.

The development of mobile phones having access to internet has also contributed a lot to have up-to-date information, news or progress of events worldwide.

Social media in general is a positive development, especially for freelance journalists as it gives a huge range of possibilities in terms of getting work! It is very tough to step into this industry and when the only media outlets that existed were print publications, there were limited opportunities for young journalists. However, the emergence of online media has created more prospects for writers and journalists both.

Besides many advantages of social media its ethical aspect especially in context of journalism is very important.

The dangerous thing about it is somewhat lack of control. As there could be anyone create a website or a blog etc so there are a number of ethical issues that are raised, especially since the technological advances move at such a fast pace. Defamation is a huge ethical issue in online journalism. As anybody can write their opinions online and people have so much freedom to express, comment or respond instantly on the internet so it is easy to commit libel. For example, writing a defamatory statement about any individual or organization could be considered libel. However, the problem with the online journalism is where to draw a line?

Despite many advantages of social media in terms of the ability to reach out to a mass audience, the immense freedom people have online can also cause more damage than intended.

Iqbal Yousafzai

Cyber crimes and social networking

It is a matter of common experience that many passionate users of social networking sites including Face Book, Twitter, MySpace, LinkedIn etc are easy target of internet scams.

Recent reports from Antivirus firms have indicated that cyber crime is increasing day by day. These social networking sites are easily being targeted. Messages are frequently sent supposedly from friends of the user, and entirely based on trust; the user if not informed on the dangers, will open them up. Consequences to this may include personal data being used for different unwanted purposes.

Most of the users are expected to be well aware of the fact however, there still may be many others who are unaware and thus they are the easy targets of internet scams.

As it was reported from the Economic Times, email services’ anti-spam security measures are much higher of social networking sites, which lead to the criminal fraternity venturing into these waters.

In a statement from Senior Technology Consultant at Sophos “Graham Cluley,” has said, “People have grown wise to email spam. They recognise all the warning signs now. But a lot more people are tricked by spam messages sent by their ‘friends’ on sites like Face Book as they have a position of trust.” He then went on to finish with what can happen if personal information is accessed.

It is high time for users to be educated how to use these networking sites safely.  In the mean time, social networking sites should also take effective measures to protect the users from the tactics of internet scams.

Iqbal Yousafzai

The use of social media in our life

Social media has produced a whole new era of media. It means sharing a part of one’s life while soaking in and engaging in parts of other people’s lives. It is the way we stay connected to family and friends as well as meet new peoples. Social media build relationships as we would in real life: share, be considerate, connect people, answer questions, and show some personality.   The collaborative use of a community-driven medium to engage with others in transparent, genuine and honest conversation, being transparent, interesting, informative and listening and responding to what others have to say.

Social media reach audiences that might be inaccessible in real life, whether because of age or socio-economic status or geographical location. Imagine being able to connect around the world with a touch of the mouse, getting almost instantaneous feedback reaching millions of people, creating meaningful and authentic relationships and conversations.

Although social media has affected print media to a great extent, but does that indicate that doom is coming to all other traditional media outlets?

Social media expert does not believe traditional media will go away but sees social and traditional media will work together in the future traditional media is failing because it is not reaching the same audience that it used to reach. Instead, social media is reaching that mass audience.

It is true to conclude that social networks are a boon to some, an annoyance to others.

Ethics and editorial guidelines (II)

 

 

Daisy Griffith, social media strategy and digital content for BBC and others, talking about new ethical guidelines for journalists.

What are the main ethical challenges journalism is facing when embracing Social Media?

Comments posted in our Facebook discussion group.

I agree with Sergi that although social media can provide leads, but info needs to be checked. Another point I’ve noticed is that people’s tweets from months or years ago are sometimes used to try and weaken the perception of their character in articles. Tweets are easier to use out of context to try and make someone seem better or worse than you want. It’s something we all need to be careful of when posting.

Amy Hall

I agree with Becs… it’s a good way to find or follow a good story, but a journalist must alway check the information. I think that social media are the present and the future… My opinion is that journalists who works with social media are the working towards taking over old generations.

Sergi Caufapé

Social media and education

Education and social media are part and parcel of the modern age. There is lot of use of social media in education. Social Media has not only greatly affected the students but in other words they are addicted to it. Having MP3, Mobile phone and laptop with a student are not just fashion but are the essential tools of today.

Audio and video recording in the classroom is very common now a day. Similarly, the information, observation and comments of every nature are shared by the students themselves as well as with others through social media especially face book and twitter.

Effects of Social Media on Journalists

The technological changes have opened great opportunities for journalists across the world to connect with the public on an unprecedented level. The rise of social media has changed the way how a story is communicated and consumed. As most of the news men make a great deal of social media for interaction with readers and sources both. Similarly, by using the new tools journalists can also get instant feedback as well as develop valuable relationships with the public at large.