Media functions in the context of social media
Social media’s development has broken up media’s entry barriers, empowering everyone to contribute information as a “journalist”. Therefore, the “subject” of social media’s has changed from traditional journalists to all the users. The following discussion will be based on this clarification.
1. Social Media Functions
Self-expression:
In the context of social media, self-expression has been enhanced to the main and fundamental function for mass individual users.
Facebook and Twitter users have identified their top 3 activities: “comments on daily activities”, “upload and share photos” and “comment on friends’ posts” [1], which all serves the function of self-expression. Based on these expressions, some active individuals influencing others’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors may become opinion leaders [1], shouldering greater functions on a later stage (refer to Graph 1).
Inform the Public:
Social media has demonstrated its immediacy, high coverage and effectiveness to inform the public and drive conversations.
The ease of communication under social media empowers everyone to serve as citizen journalism to inform the public, quickly spread breaking news to the masses. When two bombs detonated at the Boston on an unsuspecting Monday, Twitter was one of the first media platforms to break the news, 15-30 minutes earlier than most news outlets [3].
Social media is also a great complement to the mainstream. During the Japanese earthquake in 2011, a local newspaper -“Kahoku Shimpo”- published more than 35,000 articles and 2,800 blog posts on Twitter and blogs instead of printing papers [4]. Many media outlets in Japan also had a huge increase in Twitter followers after the initial quake [4].
Graph 2: The increase in Twitter followers of Japanese National Newspaper after the 3.11 earthquake [4]
Nonetheless, there are many limitations to citizen journalism. Since everyone can be a reporter, public tends to lack of confidence in its
1. Social Media Functions
Self-expression:
In the context of social media, self-expression has been enhanced to the main and fundamental function for mass individual users.
Facebook and Twitter users have identified their top 3 activities: “comments on daily activities”, “upload and share photos” and “comment on friends’ posts” [1], which all serves the function of self-expression. Based on these expressions, some active individuals influencing others’ attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors may become opinion leaders [1], shouldering greater functions on a later stage (refer to Graph 1).
Inform the Public:
Social media has demonstrated its immediacy, high coverage and effectiveness to inform the public and drive conversations.
The ease of communication under social media empowers everyone to serve as citizen journalism to inform the public, quickly spread breaking news to the masses. When two bombs detonated at the Boston on an unsuspecting Monday, Twitter was one of the first media platforms to break the news, 15-30 minutes earlier than most news outlets [3].
Social media is also a great complement to the mainstream. During the Japanese earthquake in 2011, a local newspaper -“Kahoku Shimpo”- published more than 35,000 articles and 2,800 blog posts on Twitter and blogs instead of printing papers [4]. Many media outlets in Japan also had a huge increase in Twitter followers after the initial quake [4].
Graph 2: The increase in Twitter followers of Japanese National Newspaper after the 3.11 earthquake [4]
Nonetheless, there are many limitations to citizen journalism. Since everyone can be a reporter, public tends to lack of confidence in its