Modern Journalism and Social Media Explore the Connection

“Social media is the greatest boon to journalism since the printing press”. ~ Vivian Schiller (Former President and CEO of National Public Radio).\

In this technological landscape, newspapers are still around us. However, people are using social media to gain first-hand reporting. In India, the number of mobile internet users has reached 627 million in 2024 (Global Statistics). Journalists are taking this as an opportunity to grow in the contemporary world.

Therefore, relying on only one source to receive information is insufficient today. We have remote access to the news and information through the implications of social media platforms.

Here are a few impacts of social media on journalism.

• Instantaneous Reporting
• Diverse Perspective
• Democratisation of News

Rapid integration of social media into journalism enhances the need for skilled and experienced professionals. For this, top universities of India, like Manipal University, offer a BA in Journalism and Mass Communication program. The School of Media & Communication at this premier institution offers this 3-year program with 77 international collaborations. It helped several students to excel in new-age journalism with hands-on learning and experience.

Read on to learn how social media integration could help current journalism in the fast-paced world of technology.

User-Generated Content

The immediacy of social media in modern journalism allows eyewitnesses to share images and videos to cover the breaking news. Here are the significant benefits of user-generated content in contemporary journalism.

• Rapid Circulation
• Humanise News Stories
• Diverse Perspective
• Journalism Growth
• Increased Sources

User-generated content effectively shapes how an individual perceives and understands current events. BA Journalism & Mass Communication at Manipal University, Jaipur, will give you experience using user-generated content for better journalism practices. In this, you can learn how videos and images posted by internet users can work as a source of breaking news for your journalism.

Crowdsourcing

Social media platforms like Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter helped ordinary people report the news events. For example, you can see that the inauguration of Ram Mandir on 22nd January in Ayodhya is trending on Instagram pages or Twitter handles.

Ordinary people reported this event to the general public by making official pages and posting them. Also, many journalists on YouTube are claiming that Khadi Organic’s free Prashad news is fake.

Such crowdsourcing enables them to divide or decentralise the news reporting procedure. At Manipal University, Jaipur, we often engage students in seminars, guest lectures, or other activities where they can learn about the crowdsourcing process in modern journalism on social media platforms.

Digital Storytelling

Journalists in the current era use social media to encourage their traditional reporting with multiple elements like images, videos, or user-generated content. It offers a seamless storytelling experience.

Social media integration is a stepping stone for storytellers as it enables a more immersive presentation of news stories.

While pursuing a BA Journalism & Mass Communication from MUJ, you can participate in an internship program to gain hands-on learning in digital storytelling. It could benefit you to work in the practical world of modern journalism.

Global Reach

News or information reported on social media platforms gives access to diverse audience engagement in journalism. As per Statista, 4.95 billion internet users or 61.4% of the world’s population use social media.

A newspaper can reach a limited audience in comparison to social media. Therefore, in modern journalism, business firms rapidly shift their operations to social media platforms to sustain a competitive edge in the global market.

For example, The Tribune, a news organisation, uses numerous methods like YouTube streaming, website content, user-generated content, and newspapers to report breaking news.

Guest lectures at Manipal University, Jaipur, can help you interact with existing professionals to learn how to reach a wider audience after becoming a leading professional in this emerging journalism niche.

Instant News Dissemination

The connection between social media and modern journalism made instant news dissemination possible for professionals. Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube allow journalists to share real-time information.

Also, this immediacy ensures the rapid spread of news or information to the audience at the global level. Worldwide internet users are remotely accessing news events through search engines or such platforms.

It saves time and resources to boost journalism practices in the contemporary world. For instantaneous news dissemination, one should focus on creating user-centric content. It would help encourage the audience to allow notification alerts for further news events published or posted.

Top universities of India allow students to work on assignments/projects on instant news dissemination. It helps students gain hands-on learning to excel in their ideal job position in modern journalism.

Data Analytics

Social media includes valuable information about sources or audience behaviour in new-age journalism. As a professional, you can use this information to tailor content to the audience's interests. Mainly, it will help you to optimise engagement strategies to excel in the environment.

It is one of the significant approaches to data analytics in modern journalism that might foster the growth of numerous professionals or graduates. BA Journalism & Mass Communication at MUJ encourage data analytics skills of individuals to work in real-world settings.

The approach of combining creative methodologies and tools helps this program to go beyond the conventional degree for students.

Let’s Wrap

Today, social media has become an integral part of modern journalism. It brings numerous benefits like engaging diverse audiences, navigating evolving media, or instantaneous news dissemination. Top universities of India teach students how to balance speed, accuracy, and responsible reporting in this rapidly changing world of journalism. Visit the official website to learn about Manipal Jaipur placements and enrol for admission.