COMM 3350

In the world of Broadcast Media, one thing stands in the way of complete visual news domination: the internet. While television has traditionally had a monopoly on “real-time” news, which newspapers and radio cannot claim; the internet and more specifically Social Media are quickly gaining ground as one of the most prominent methods of viewing news and finding out further details on current topics of the day. CNN is a network that is affected by this social media craze; to say they were “suffering” as a network would not be true—they themselves have embraced the use of Twitter, Facebook, and other social media networks to reach out to a greater number of people interested in current news stories.

A breaking news story in London gained much ground through the use of social media such as Youtube; the G-20 protests were filmed by bystanders and used to promote the cause of the rebellion and gain further followers. This is a video describing the use of social media as a form of protest that allow the protestors, as the video claims, to “add social networks to their arsenal.”



Another example of using social media to get people riled up is through the similar Youtube videos posted about the war in Iraq. These videos were taken in protest of a government that would not allow any forms of media to display visuals of the street protests. These governments therefore fuel the use of social media to provide support for the “rebel cause.” This allows other people in the world to be more aware of the situation in places like Tehran, Iran. Otherwise, the government would never let certain pieces of information to be released that could show their government in a negative light. This allows amateurs to become journalists where there can be none.

One major way that CNN is affected by these social media networks is the concept of “real-time” news. On television, CNN has a similar format, but now through the use of social media networks, people can check even their cell phones to get the latest updates on current topics. Sometimes political strategies become part of the social networking sites. The Republican Party (the GOP) has jumped on the Obama campaign’s bandwagon and has begun utilizing social media as a way to get their political ideals to the masses.

Television, feeling threatened by social media, has come up with a plan of their own to allow paying customers to view television through certain devices such as cell phones, Blackberries, and iPhones. The downside is the obvious question, “Why should we pay for something we can get for free?” which is an extremely valid argument considering one can watch almost all television shows online or on hand-held devices anyway.

In the future, I believe that broadcast television stations will further their connection to social media. Why would they pass up on the opportunity to reach mass markets immediately following a news story breaking? Even updating the masses on daily topics or current events. There is nothing wrong with the advent of social media to television, in my opinion, and I think that it gives people an opportunity to show things to the world that may not previously have been known or seen.