Liberation via Social Media

Since the inception of journalism, communication has been hindered by disruption and misinformation that challenges the process of healthy discussion.

Whether intentional or not, the influence of an elite class undermines and ultimately determines the will of the average person living in a given society. This, however, has become less of a problem with the proliferation of social media, which has lead to the democratization of information as a whole.

Social media has allowed raw, uncut footage of real life events that have the power to start cultural movements. Through the practice of this instant information system, it gives a voice to the voiceless in a community and creates a possibility to shape a new narrative that is beneficial to that community.

For a journalist to ultimately be considered “good” there is a need to speak truth to power, and a need to go against an establishment that desires to maintain unjust systems. This can be something as simple as posting a video of a protest, or something more complicated such as fact checking politicians using data and analysis.

An example of good journalism can be found in an article from the New York Times about Hong Kong and its struggle of liberation from an oppressive regime.

Anthony Adornato said it best in chapter 4 when speaking on the biases of journalism, and how social media can alleviate them. “Understanding the lived experiences of people in different parts of our community will help us rethink the role of our newsrooms, ask new questions in our stories, and challenge our assumptions.”