By a show of hands, who still reads newspapers? Not necessarily the New York Times or USA Today websites, but do print newspapers still get read? Before the internet, print newspapers used to be the most popular source for current events and new information, spreading important news to those who may not know about what has recently occurred around the world. In fact, during the 19th century, newspapers gained more popularity than ever before. According to Local Histories, “In 1855, stamp duty on newspapers became abolished and they became cheaper and more common. In the mid-19th century newspaper industry, reporters began to use the telegraph as a means to get news to their newspapers quickly. Then in 1880, The New York Graphic became the first newspaper to print a photo.” So, why have newspapers been cast aside in the 21st century? One answer appears to be the emergence of social media.
In this digital age, improvements have been made to technology, production, and convenience. After all, why wait for a print newspaper to come out when it only takes a few seconds to look on Twitter to find out about current events? While this method of searching for news may be faster and easier, two traits that tend to be favored in the 21st century, that can lead to a multitude of problems. “Social media sites have surpassed print newspapers as a news source for Americans: One-in-five U.S. adults say they often get news via social media, slightly higher than the share who often do so from print newspapers (16%) for the first time since Pew Research Center began asking these questions,” Pew Research states. As the popularity of print newspapers declines, the trust in social media sites increases as more and more people look to Facebook, Twitter, and even TikTok as accurate sources for news.
A 2017 study done by the Pew Research Center shows that television still remains to be the most trusted and most used source for news, as it can be both convenient and trustworthy, with news websites coming in second place. Radio falls right below online websites, and social media takes its place directly under radio, leaving a spot for print newspapers right at the bottom, directly below social media. The widely used term “fake news” has been used to describe “false news stories, often of a sensational nature, created to be widely shared or distributed for the purpose of generating revenue, or promoting or discrediting a public figure, political movement, company, etc.” according to Dictionary. This term has often been used to describe news posted on social media, as posts on Facebook and Twitter can be entirely made up simply to promote panic or paranoia. The main problem with believing social media news posts remains to be that anyone can post anything they choose to gain attention. And unfortunately, many people believe it with no proof or evidence at all. The fact that social media has been dominating the field of journalism more than actual newspapers proves how nowadays people often tend to prefer convenience over fact, leading to false news that promotes panic and escalates a situation.
Social media can be a fun way to communicate with friends and family, post funny pictures online or create a digital portfolio for future employers to take a look at. It should not, however, be treated like the only news source for those who believe social media posts without hard facts. It may be easier and faster to check Twitter to find out about the next election or see if there has been an outbreak of mad cow disease, but without proof, this could lead to immense fear.
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