Impact of unrestricted web publishing

The article that I chose for this blog post was about a Fox Cable Networks Group top executive that was fired for using her company email account to set up a fundraiser for the family of a passenger on the plane from Malaysia that disappeared.  The executive herself was quoted in the article and the same story was posted on the ABC news website and the Associated Press.  The article was well written and did not condemn the company for terminating the executive.  It stated simple facts of what happened and the consequences that followed.

 

With mass media giving the ability to anyone with intent to post anything they wish, this story has the potential to be twisted to put blame on either party in this matter.  Someone could feel strongly that the company was insensitive to the intent of the executive and therefore post a story with the intent of ruining the company’s reputation and painting the executive as a victim.  The company could also be painted as the victim for having to enforce the consequences for misuse of the company email regardless of the how noble the effort was.  Unrestricted web publishing allows for different versions of the truth to be published with no worry of the consequences and that is why as the audience we have to take responsibility for what we believe as truth and what we don’t.  

News from Social Media

Various social media sites are on my daily rotation including Facebook and Twitter. While on Twitter this afternoon a tweet regarding the upcoming Boston Marathon came up.  This is year’s marathon is going to be closely watched around the world as everyone will be remembering last year’s tragic events.  The Boston Police Commissioner held a press conference today outlining the steps the city is taking to ensure the runner’s and those watching the event’s safety.  From increased to security to more medical areas. 

This article was found on Boston Globe, which is a respected newspaper, and their online presence adds to their reach and because of their reputation I am comfortable with the information and facts they provide.  An added feature of the article that adds to that is the video clip from the press conference.  There are also no personal opinions from the journalist which adds to the professionalism of the article.

Social media does add another source to obtain information but when it comes to reliability I look for links to original articles.  This is for the credibility of the information that I read and so that when I’m discussing it with others I can be confident relaying what I’ve learned.  As we all know anyone can join a social media site and then leave their opinion about anything and everything.  That is why it is so important to know the source of information before anyone can trust the validity.

Reference

Allen, E. (2014). Officials vow to make Marathon safe and enjoyable. Retrieved from

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2014/04/12/security/cCvRRAOMGKLodMi4kivnBI/story.html 

 

New Media and its Influence

It’s amusing for me to think about all of the new media and technology that I revolve my life around.  Today, already, I have checked multiple email accounts, both personal and professional, I have checked Facebook and Instagram and it is only 9:45am.  By the end of the day that list will grow to include Pinterest, twitter, text messages and Facebook messenger.  Not to mention I listened to the radio on my way to work and I have Pandora playing right now.  Then of course there are all of the news apps that are sending notifications to me all day, tragically the news of the day is the shooting at Ft. Hood and the funeral services for the fallen fire fighters in Boston. 

 

Social media has made me jaded when it comes to my perspective on events that happen.  My heart breaks for families that are affected by tragedies but it comes to a point where I am tired of hearing the same report for hours upon hours every day.  I believe there comes a time when the news outlets need to give it a rest.  I would think that the victims and the families of the victims would want some peace and quiet as opposed to having to hear about the course of events that led them to where they are now.

 

On the other side of the coin, when tragedies do strike I am amazing and in awe of how communities pull together and without social media and the news outlets I would not be able to witness that coming together.  True we may be selfish people the majority of the time but when it really matters we come together to help our neighbors in times of need.  So there is really no strong pull when it comes to positive versus negative influences.  I’d like to believe that I can look past the negative and focus on the positive.