In my Journalism 4953 class on Feb. 16 Sharif Durham, director of social media at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, discussed the impact that social media can have on politics.
It is no secret that the importance of social media has increased in recent years. Everything from thoughts to breaking news can be posted immediately on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook and in an instant they can become viral.
In his presentation, Durham discussed the importance of upholding the principles and ethics of journalism while immersing in social media. As a journalist, this idea really struck me. The past few weeks I have become aware of the impact social media and blogging can have, but listening to Durham speak made me think of these things from an ethical standpoint.
Even though journalism today is immediate it does not mean that it has to be sloppy or error prone. The beauty of journalistic writing is now being able to write something that is quick while being accurate and meaningful.
Ultimately, anyone can write quick information, but that does not make him/her a journalist. What distinguishes journalists from the average human is being mindful of the impact words can have. As journalists we need to be prepared for news at a moments notice but we also need to double-check our work to make sure that we are not being inaccurate or misleading.
It is no secret that the importance of social media has increased in recent years. Everything from thoughts to breaking news can be posted immediately on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook and in an instant they can become viral.
In his presentation, Durham discussed the importance of upholding the principles and ethics of journalism while immersing in social media. As a journalist, this idea really struck me. The past few weeks I have become aware of the impact social media and blogging can have, but listening to Durham speak made me think of these things from an ethical standpoint.
Even though journalism today is immediate it does not mean that it has to be sloppy or error prone. The beauty of journalistic writing is now being able to write something that is quick while being accurate and meaningful.
Ultimately, anyone can write quick information, but that does not make him/her a journalist. What distinguishes journalists from the average human is being mindful of the impact words can have. As journalists we need to be prepared for news at a moments notice but we also need to double-check our work to make sure that we are not being inaccurate or misleading.
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