Look, we can attribute the overwhelming outrage at the big verdict from Tuesday to the awareness that social media brings. I would say that social media (or what we define as social media) is just a reflection of the main stream media in the bigger sense.
Where do people get their ideas and understanding of that case? Main stream media. Plain and simple.
Brandon Mendelson is writing a book called “Social Media is Bullshit.” (due out next April) This is his take on how Twitter and social media affects our world. While there may be some interesting points brought up in the book, I think his overwhelming bluntness will give the reader the understanding he or she needs based solely off the title. Social media doesn’t vote for candidates or help to stop breast cancer. It is just a tool.
Look at “The Voice.” Social media isn’t helping ratings. (Christina Aguilera’s plunging neckline is what gets people to watch. Lol) Nielson doesn’t poll twitter last time I checked. These broadcasters cannot charge more for ad space based on trending topics affiliated with their show from Twitter. We need to stop acting as if they can.
The same goes for this sensationalized case.
Twitter is not a judge. Twitter is not a jury. Hell Twitter is more or less a Myspace/Facebook upgrade. Does that mean I hate twitter? Of course not. I’m just showing how flawed the thinking behind PR pros and the main stream media that are hounding social media sites looking for “the word from the streets.” How is that anything even close to journalism? That is just asking for the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) to start spewing blood from their eyes. We cannot verify any sources. Are you kidding me?
Barack Obama’s handlers are even getting in on the act with his #townhall crap from earlier this week. Twitter users could ask “Obama” any question they wanted and he picked some to answer over Twitter. Has no one seen a politician who takes questions before? This is the opposite of the White House press corp who can ask anything they want. Obama’s handlers get to pick and choose the questions they want to answer. Why answer questions that may be tough when someone asks an easy one? We need real journalists to ask the hard hitting questions (please let them get back to doing that sometime soon.)
I have a small coronary every time I see someone on a supposedly journalistic tv station go to twitter to help prove a point in their own opinion. Even I can find one other person in all of twitter who agrees with my viewpoint. You must be kidding me.
REPORT!
DON’T EDITORIALIZE.
Having a few columnist types is fine. That’s normal. Having these same people report the news is unethical and kills any type transparency. Twitter is as transparent as a moldy milk jug. Anyone (hell, including me) could post up behind a Twitter handle and retweet anything over and over so as to influence others to retweet the garbage that some of these stations want you to hear. I bet @sweatyforbeck_y (I hope there is not an actual account named this.) retweets whatever Glen Beck wants and then some other name retweets it and Fox News goes to the Twitter board to “prove” others like what Beck is saying. WE DON’T KNOW WHO THESE PEOPLE REALLY ARE! WE DON’T EVEN KNOW IF THEY ARE PEOPLE!
Ugh! The sad thing is that as a former journo who is heading to law school, I am only a used car salesman job away from being the most despised type of guy in America.
That’s enough for now.
~YJ_SL
