Twitter Killed All Journalists!

There has been a media murder, and the image above is the prime suspect. 

What was once a one-way street in the world of Journalism, has now become an overwhelming force where everyone can contribute, and have twitter to thank for that.

Many believe that journalism has been killed, and maybe it has, but more in the traditional sense. Twitter as well as other social media sites have allowed a greater sense of citizen journalism, making anyone able to share information that they obtain and distribute it to anyone, from anywhere in the world. But where does that leave the traditional journalists who are getting paid for what they do?

The short answer; referee. Or more specifically, they are used more and more as those that can correct people on the internet, keeping the credibility of the information intact, that way, no matter who puts out an image, or a link, or a video, there will always be someone who can verify it as fact.

Personally, I see this concept not as a deletion, but an evolution. The traditional journalist is dead, but the act of being a journalist is alive and well, maybe more so than usual. It's simply the medium and where it's obtained that makes it different.

A man by the name of McGuire at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication wrote about this topic, and stated:

"Twitter offers just as equal a chance for journalists to destroy credibility and ruin any potential connections with readers for an entire organization."

But that doesn't mean that people should be afraid of Twitter, that companies should cower in fear at the site of normal average citizens stealing their jobs simply with a camera phone. If anything, they should be embracing this evolution, and using this to further their Journalism careers, and understand that this craft has become a global enterprise.

When someone posts a tweet with an iPhone image and shows some major event, and posts links to other sites where they can get more information, don't be mad that he beat these mass journalists to the punch in broadcasting their information, be proud.

Because ultimately, it's them that's going to be the ones that give us up to date information when we want it. It is also up to the traditional journalists to make sure that the information is truthful and accurate.

Will you be part of the Journalist Revolution?



McGuire Article
http://cronkite.asu.edu/mcguireblog/?p=158

Are Twitter and Social Media Ruining Journalism?
http://jfbarclay.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/twitter-and-social-media-ruining-journalism/