How Social Media is Changing the Role of Journalists and Journalism Essay

How Social Media is Changing the Role of Journalists and Journalism - Essay Example The journalists were also required to interview expert sources in order to gather more information on the issues to report about. From the views of the expert sources, the public could be able to make informed decisions on the issues raised by the experts before they compile a report to the public. This is usually called the agenda setting. The journalists in the discharge of their duty to enlighten the public are guided by certain codes of conduct. They have to avoid issues that can wreck havoc or raise them in a rational manner. The journalists also have to censor provocative content to the public before their news story could be broadcasted in the mass media. They also have to ensure that their sources are credible and free from speculations and rumors. They moderate the news contents as they receive them before letting them out to the public domain. However, following the current trend of the social media, there has been an increasing tendency of the social media to act as the jo urnalists. One would expect to receive news through the mass media reported by journalists, but instead, most of the world news is now spreading through the social media that how the mass media would do its work. The news spread by mass media covers longer distances within very short time spans and reach more people than if it could have been dispersed by the mass media. This research therefore, is aimed at discussing and finding out the extent to which the social media is changing journalism and the work of the journalists at large. Journalism could be losing relevance and may become obsolete with time. This could be so as the social media are taking a faster step in assuming all the duties and responsibilities of journalism of receiving and dispersing news to the whole world. They are able to share the news globally making the social media the new mass media reaching billions of people all over the world. For many years, before the advent of the social media, there used to be a lo t of trust in the reputable sources of news and journalism as a career was highly regarded in all societies. It came to pass that human beings, born with lots of ability to invent and innovate, came up with easier ways to allow people to socialize and communicate with the whole world just through an interface. Thus, social media, has been rebranded to give it different purposes where people find it very easy to get there and disperse or receive news about the latest happenings all over the globe. Something, for instance, could take place this instance in America, but before the journalists could get access to the news in order to report it officially, someone in Africa who is connected to a friend in America through the social media shall have received the news through the media. Other instances include advertisements through the social media. Several companies have found a large audience base through the social media platform. This is where many young stars and some of the old peop le take much of their time to socialize with their friends all over the world. Therefore, this opportunity has been taken up by companies to at least promote their companies to their audiences through making advertisements on the social media page. Social media and public opinion The journalists through the mass media such as the radio and television have always had to control and moderate public discussions. The social media has enabled everyone with an account to act as their own moderators. Habermas notes that â€Å"