I’ve stated before that I am an absolute news junkie, and I find it interesting to study the impact that digital media has on news and politics. I think there are both positives and negatives to a news source that is always connected to everyone and everything.
On one hand, people need to be informed about what’s happening in their city, state, and world, and being able to receive instant alerts on their handheld devices, from their televisions, and even sent to their emails is a fast, low cost way to make sure that news gets heard. Politicians are able to organize their supporters and reach wider audiences than ever before with the help of social networking. Even the definition of news is changing (for the better or worse? Who knows.) How many of you managed to miss the headlines about Jack the cat, lost in the JFK baggage terminal? An entire nation followed the drama and a few of us even sniffled a little bit when he was found dead. Prior to digital media, no one but a small circle of the owner’s friends would have known about the lost cat. Now, information gets re-posted, re-tweeted, and re-blogged so many times that the weight the term “viral” used to have is almost lost. But the good news is that people know what’s happening, from Jack the cat to Occupy Wall Street. Do you remember hearing about the Japanese earthquake? UK riots? Egyptian protests? The death of a terrorist? An erupting volcano in Iceland? A collapsed mine in Chile? Gulmaz, the jailed Afghan rape victim? Or one that’s very near and dear to southern hearts, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill? My point is, when people know what’s going on, masses can unite and actually make a difference. Digital media makes that possible.
On the other hand, it can be hard to know who to trust when you’re listening to, watching, or reading news reports. It seems like every news source has an angle, from CNN to Fox and every other news source. It can be frustrating to find an unbiased and fair network to get information from, and digital media has a lot to do with it. This is especially true when it comes to politics. The term “spin” can be extremely aggravating, when every source has their own agenda and the information that’s fed to the people tuning in is horrifically slanted. Digital media makes it possible for selective reporting to take place, and selective listening as well.
In the end, I think that if we keep our minds open, vary our sources from time to time, and use every ounce of logic and common sense we were given, digital media’s impact on the news and politics can be a wonderful thing.
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