Two weeks ago, as we saw the full aftermath of the Boston
Marathon Bombings, I started thinking about the way we gather our news and how
the process has evolved over the years.
As I noted in an earlier
post, as soon as the bombs went off, I headed to Facebook to see what was
going on. Coming from a journalism major, that is a pretty big deal. After all,
I wanted live action from the people truly affected and Facebook is a great way
to get it.
The opinions are unbiased, sadly something that is not
always common with traditional news outlets, but more importantly, you can feel
the emotion when you gather news from your friends and family. I could watch
CNN for exclusive interviews from those involved, but why not get the same from
the people I actually know and trust? When you think about it, it's targeted
news.
All the advances with iPhones, mobile and social media have
allowed the public to become our own news source. It is truly one of the great
benefits our society has seen from technology over the past ten years.
I no longer have to wait for the Sun-Times to report who won
the Sox game. I no longer have to wait for a phone call to hear if the girl of
his dreams said yes to the big question (which happened this weekend by the
way). I can get the news as soon as they share it with the world. Once again,
targeted news for me when I want it.
Who needs traditional news outlets when you have your
friends and social media?
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