In the age of instant gratification through social media platforms, a new way of being alerted to events happening across the world has emerged as well. Snapchat, Facebook live videos, live Twitter discussions and videos give you an immersive news experience that many turn to over its paper counterpart.
Newspapers have seen its greatest decline since 2010 with weekday circulation falling seven percent and Sunday circulation falling four percent according to Pew Research Center. Local TV stations have lost five percent of their viewership, causing news coverage publications and producers to question where viewers are receiving their information.
The digital transition is imminent and all areas of publication are feeling the time crunch as more viewers and readers switch to social media for the fastest coverage.
In January 2016 a Pew Research Center survey found that “only five percent of U.S. adults who learned about the presidential election in the past week named print newspapers as their most helpful source.”
It can be noted that there is a generational difference on where people get their news. Those under 30 are more likely to name social media as a main source of news while those over 30 are more likely to turn to cable TV newscasts for the latest topics. However, this is changing as well. While it is more typical that the younger generation receive their news through social media, there is a marked change of 62 percent of U.S. adults getting their overall news on social media sites, mainly because of the ability to stream video of different news stories.
For many years the business of journalism was left up to the control of news organizations, but in this era of moving to digital platforms these organizations are now having to relinquish some of their control to social media platforms that now have their own goals and choices of how they want news to be displayed to the people.
What category do college students fall into when looking for news coverage on global topics?
According to the Associated Press, Millennials use three or more social media platforms with Facebook as a favorite site to find a wide mix of viewpoints. Even though 60 percent of young adults “bump into” news content while surfing their social media, it still says something about how these platforms affect where people get their news.
A smartphone is a handheld, easily accessible and personal newspaper. People can surf the news while waiting for their train, stream live videos which can create a greater sense of empathy and connect with a community of likeminded individuals by commenting on any article they read on the internet.
Because of this switch to news being represented better on digital platforms, news organizations such as The New York Times, CNN and Fox News have taken their digital audience into account by creating virtual reality journalism. The New York Times have been leading virtual reality journalism with their immersive videos ranging from the war in Syria to deep sea diving with sharks.
It cannot be denied that the transition to digital media is happening quickly. This movement beckons more creativity from news organizations while also opening up new opportunities and ideas on how to stay relevant. The millennial generation has contributed greatly to this fast change in the way citizens receive their news. Being the young adult generation, millennials have the power to make collective decisions for the future such as the presidential election this November.
