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Sunday, January 24, 2010
Where Do You Get Your News From?
One of the many social networks that I hang out at is BlogCatalog. It’s a nice place to promote your Web site or blog.
Well, one of the members created a discussion about how someone put on Twitter that actor Johnny Depp was dead, which he isn’t.
Now, what amazes me is that one: This person was on Twitter to get his news and two: He went to a social networking site to confirm the news instead of going to a legitimate news Web site.
Why aren’t more people just reading newspapers, or watching broadcast media or even going to a news Web site to get their information?
Alarmingly, a 2007 Philadelphia Inquirer story reported that “13 percent of 18-to-25-year-olds say they watch ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’ regularly as an information source, according to a study released in January by the Pew Research Center for the People and the Press.”
In fact, a Time poll showed that 44 percent of people thought that Jon Stewart was more trusting than Katie Couric, Charlie Gibson or Brian Williams.
An earlier story done in 2004 by the Associated Press revealed that some 19 to 26 year olds, who were waiting to see the taping of Stewart’s show, said they got their news from the popular Comedy Central program.
“I’m not really interested (in real news shows),” said Michelle Cohen, a 20-year-old New Yorker. “A lot of those shows focus on topics that have absolutely nothing to do with me, like old people’s health care.”
Even Stewart admits that his role on Comedy Central is not one of journalist and Twitter does not check the facts of those who use it.
So, what needs to be done to get young adults to get their news from legitimate sources?
What is your opinion on this? How should the media present the news so it will attract young adults and let them stay with real news organizations and only watch Stewart or use Twitter for entertainment?
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