Social Media Has Fundamentally Changed How We Digest Daily News

Much to legacy media’s chagrin, in 2022, anyone can play the role of a news anchor… even a TikTok user.

At first glance, you would think that social media— where people connect with family members, share cat videos, and post funny memes—would be too informal for serious news distribution, but in recent times social media has actually become many people’s go-to spot for news.

This past June, BBC Education conducted a study which found that young internet users between the ages of 11 and 16 trust the news they see or read on social media. What’s more, Pew Research found that upwards of 86% of Americans get their news from digital devices.

Whether through YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, or Reddit, younger generations are ditching traditional news channels and staying informed through their own uniquely cultivated digital media feeds.

Legacy news has seen this trend and attempted to shift much of their news reporting from television and radio to social media platforms and audio streaming services, but major newsroom reporting isn’t as appealing to younger generations. These emerging generations don’t want to watch a Walter Cronkite-esque news report. Rather, they want short bites of important information packaged up in flashier, fast-paced formats.

New media companies like Vice, Vox, or Buzzfeed use modern branding and edgier reporting. Online users also have the option of getting their news from entirely independent sources through grassroots podcasts or Substack subscriptions.

Researchers have predicted that the largest global channel for ad revenue in coming years will be digital media which is why we believe in growing a strong online presence. Barriers to growing media were once high, but with social media’s new role in sharing the news, there’s a new market for independent reporting.

That leaves us wondering: with so many voices contributing to information overload, how can social media users feel confident knowing they are hearing the truth? This is why it’s critical to empower individuals with honesty and alleviate them from the disinformation machine.