News Coverage and Social Media

One of my favorite things to do is read a newspaper. I like the wide breath of stories most newspapers provide. The edition I read this morning, for instance, provided a profile on the latest Supreme Court nominee, a recap of the 65th anniversary celebration of D-Day, an analysis of the race for the Democratic nomination to be the next governor of Virginia, an update on needed highway construction, and a preview of upcoming summer movies. And that is just a small sampling of the hundreds of stories that comprised this particular issue. Generally, the stories were interesting, well-written, and informative. They reinforced my notion that I would be hard-pressed to remember one time when I put down a newspaper when I did not feel a bit more enlightened than I was before I read it.

Yet even as a satisfied customer, I am not concerned at the possibility that the emergence of blogs, new websites, twitter and the many other forms of social media will force newspapers to reshape how they do what they do. When it comes to how news is reported, change is afoot and that is not a bad thing. I do not see the coverage of news going away just as I do not see the interest people have in learning about what is going on in their neighborhoods, states, countries and world as subsiding either. There will always be room for journalists that provide us with hard and soft news. Social media is not going to change that. But what social media is going to do is force newspapers to undergo a major alteration in how they present information to us. A quick example of that is the fact that more newspapers are placing greater emphasis on their on-line editions than they are on their more traditional print versions.

If all goes well, this transition will result in a more engaged audience for newspapers. Readers will have greater opportunities to react to stories they read, feel strongly about, and can relate to. Further, they will even be able to engage in a dialogue with the reporters and, more and more, with newsmakers themselves. It is the rise of social media that is and will be making this happen. As a result, there is great potential for a more enlightened and engaged general public. Such a phenomenon can only enhance communication in our society as we know it. Greater communication is a key to our well being as individuals and to our overall society.