The Microfiche of the New Millenium

Before Facebook, Twitter and other online media sites, sources for news and information were newspapers, radio, and grainy images on roof antenna tuned black & white televisions.  To satisfy their curiosity about a certain subject, people made their way to the library, browsed the card catalog, and actually opened books and periodicals. Many a student had a "love-hate" relationship with Encyclopedia Britannica and the Dewey Decimal System.  The closest thing to computer monitors was the microfiche.  Endless hours were spent scrolling through screen after screen of ancient images and text.  It could be argued that it was a much simpler time; or was it?  

Fast forward to the 21st century and the means of obtaining information has changed dramatically.  While there’s still print media, radio and television; a vast majority of the information is obtained via online sources. There is no time to comprehend a posting before the next bit of information is online ready to be viewed.  Is this need for instantaneous information,  a byproduct of man’s technological advancement, doing the world a disservice?

Imagine how the events of the past would have been perceived if they were transmitted via the Internet.  Would the NY Jets' 1969 Super Bowl win have been as exciting?  How fast would images of the Bill Buckner’s error during the 1986 World Series have trended on Twitter? Would YouTube videos depicting neighborhood children waving at the moon to astronauts in July of 1969 gone viral? Would the massive civil rights, anti-war and equal rights protests have simply been relegated to online petition campaigns such as moveon.org and change.org?  If so, would their historic significance have been diminished or increased?

Prior to the Internet, news came at a pace comfortable enough for people to readily absorb and subsequently formulate their own opinions. Information is now received so quickly that many are unable to form objective opinions. The wave of information is streaming to laptops, tablets and smart phones at a record pace. Opinions have become more subjective and from gut instinct.

Granted, the Internet does offer more options than the library of the mid-twentieth century ever could.  Even so, how many take the time to Google or Bing a topic prior to posting their commentary?  These are questions that should be answered.  Can the answers be found before the next breaking news post since the Internet waits for no one?

Social Media's Political Dialogue (or Lack Thereof)

Photo: Louis Lanzano  via Wikimedia Commons

As the government shutdown continues,both sides of the political spectrum are bombarding us with their “messages” and agendas on each and every social media platform.  Where is the outrage or the impassioned support?  Where are the mass rallies and protests?  

Granted, there have been posts and comments across the social media landscape favoring both sides of the issue; but where are the living breathing bodies taking it to the streets?  Having lived in both the pre and current Internet worlds, I'm not expecting to see reactions on par with the Civil Rights marches, the Vietnam protests, or even burning of bras. I am disappointed at what I haven’t seen.  There have been those who have tried to bring focus to this hot-button issue.  Unfortunately, they do not seem to have the same outpouring of support as the release of the latest movie trailer or preview of this week's episode of a popular reality show.

One theory, and trust me it is just a theory not based on facts and figures, is that a majority of those utilizing social media have not grasped how this affects them directly. I know it is simplistic; but, for whatever reason, society tends to focus on the issues perceived to either benefit or harm us on a personal level. Everything about the events over the last week affects every single one of us.  Too many seem to be going about their daily lives with either blinders on or the belief that their opinions do not matter in the grand scheme of things.

An extremely simplistic example would be to ask a random sampling their thoughts on yesterday’s baseball scores, how their favorite golfer did, or what did they think of the photo of Sally dancing on the table. Compare this sampling to their thoughts on the political juggernaut in Washington. I fear that Sally’s dancing photo would probably get more comments, likes and shares.

Many believe that politics has no place in social media. Tell that to the media establishment that has latched on to social media with gusto.  News reports and political analyses are posted on the Internet for a reason. Not only to build up viewership, but as an open invitation for commentary and discourse.  Even more significant is that the political parties have become more social media savvy.  They understand that our voices are necessary to both formulate a successful platform and disseminate it.  When we are silent, we do both them and ourselves a huge disservice.

As you scroll through your daily news feed and notifications; take a moment between the animal photos, the birthday wishes, status updates and the event invites.  Click on a post you normally would have ignored.  Don’t be afraid to post a comment on how you feel. Share the post with your friends and connections in your social media network. Engage them in conversation.  There will definitely be differences of opinion; that is to be expected and encouraged.  It will open up the possibility of learning that there may be a point of view that you never considered before.  While you do not have to agree with the differing opinions; you will having a clearer understanding of it.

Be more vocal when reading something you either agree or disagree with.  Find a way to take your thoughts and ideas back to streets; away from the computer and smartphone with their perceived sense of anonymity. If you are not comfortable with marching down Main Street carrying a sign and chanting, so be it.  It will take baby steps. For a difference to be made and for change to occur, there needs to be dialogue. Get the conversation going in both the real and virtual worlds.

Extra! Extra! Have you read all about it?

The lede, the lead in, the teaser - whatever your preferred terminology; it's the string of words announcing the news article just posted/published by your media outlet of choice. Its sole purpose is to entice the reader or viewer to sit up and take notice.  It's meant to make you want to pick up the newspaper and read the details.  It prevents you from changing the channel during the commercial break so you can find out what happened.  Has this journalistic tradition been lost on  the “I want it now” generation?

In my opinion, one of the best innovations brought on by the Internet and social media has been the ability for the average consumer of news to post their commentary online.  It has moved the discussion of news events beyond the water cooler.  It has opened up the possibility of having frank and open discussions with people of varying opinions on a global scale. Media outlets will even post a quote or significant passage from the article preceding the link. However, this may have only perpetuated a growing problem. Those on the never ending quest for immediate gratification mistakenly believe they have full knowledge of the subject matter and are ready to move on to the next item or, worse yet, post their comments online.

Imagine a typical morning.  You are scrolling through your news feed and an article peaks your interest.  You open the link, read the full text and proceed back to the original social media site to the comments section. Before you enter your comments, you scan through the previous commentary.  How many times have you noticed that the previous commentators obviously did not bother to read beyond the headline and the introductory paragraph?  It has become more than a passing thing of late.   

Not only does it make the previous poster(s) look foolish but it turns those of us who did read the entire article into the Internet police.  We find ourselves spending more time correcting their misinterpretation of the facts in the article than being able to offer our own opinions on the piece in question.  More often than not it becomes a war of words rather than a peaceful discourse of ideas and opinion.

There is nothing wrong with people having differing opinions and being able to discuss them in a rational and educated manner.  That is not the purpose of this post.  I always look forward to a lively debate.  However, I expect my opponent to have read the full context of the article beforehand.  How they interpret what they read is subjective; but at least I will know we are starting on an even playing field.

Social Media's Effect on Breaking News

In the not so distant past, families would gather in anticipation of hearing the familiar and soothing voices of David Brinkley, Walter Cronkite or Dan Rather. (Okay, so I grew up in a CBS household – more from the angle of the roof antenna than from choice.  For those of you with better reception or just simply a little bit younger than I; imagine Peter Jennings and Tom Brokaw.)  We knew if they had bad news to tell us, everything would be okay just because of who they were and how they presented it.  When the news was good, you found yourself sharing in their excitement from your living room.

Fast forward to the infancy of cable and the 24-hour cable news networks. How long did it take for us to realize that it was not in fact 24 hours of breaking news?  Was it after the third or fifth time the same news story was replayed on our television screens?

Social media has changed how we process news and information.  At any point in a 24 hour day, we log in and quench our thirst for news moments after it occurs or even as it is happening through live streaming.  With the influx of blogs, twitter and social media sites, we take on the role of “news distributors”.  (I use the term “news distributor” in deference to the professional journalist who is compensated to report the facts in an unbiased manner.)

We receive updates on our news feeds and share them with our network of friends. We post our commentaries and reactions before the facts have been fully fleshed out by seasoned journalists.  

Rallies are organized; independent investigative task forces are called for; and online petitions are started; all before the morning paper’s ink has had a chance to dry. The online distraction can become so intense that the full facts, when finally released, never seem to satisfy us. Social media has taken on the role of the fatherly news anchor types of the past.

We more driven by our initial reactions than ever before.  Gone are the days where facts and figures are left to the journalists to decipher and analyze for us.  We already know the lead story before the 11 o'clock news or the delivery of the the morning newspaper.  

As broadcast and print media continue to evolve in the Internet age, consumers of the news need to be flexible in how they react.  The days of the final edition are over. There will always be an update to an update.  Our indignation and disgust on Monday may be tempered by additional information in an update released on Wednesday.  

The Equality of Social Media

This week, the nation (and the world, for that matter) turned its attention to the US Supreme Court as it heard arguments from both sides regarding marriage equality.  

When did we, as a society, become so desensitized to major political and social events?  With the presidential election behind us, we continue to be bombarded on all social media sites with  “messages” and agendas from every corner of the political spectrum.  We read posts and see memes ranging from the  “war” on women to the “fiscal cliff”.  Various versions of these same messages are being regurgitated and posted in infinite forms.  It has gotten to the point, I am afraid, that as a society we may have finally reached that point of desensitization that every social media marketer fears.

Then, again, have we?  A one point this week, my cellphone was overloaded with notifications of Facebook friends changing their profile pictures in support the Marriage Equality.  

Having lived my life in both the pre and current Internet worlds, I did not expect to see reactions to Facebook, Twitter or Google Plus posts similar to the Civil Rights marches, the Vietnam protests, or even the burning of the bras on the street; but I was pleasantly surprised at what I did see.  

In the past, there have been those who have tried to bring focus to hot-button social issues.  Unfortunately, they did not seem to have the same outpouring of support as the release of the latest movie trailer or preview of that week's episode of a popular reality show. This past week was encouraging in that the conversation remained positive with very little online debates or caterwauling.  The simple changing of the profile pictures to one of the various forms of the red and pink equal sign had a much wider influence than I believe was originally thought.  

In the past several days, there have been articles and blog posts written about this subject and I will not rehash the same opinions already expressed.  However, I will stress my hope that this appearance of acceptance and respect for the rights and opinions of those whom we may not normally agree with carries over to other political and social causes.  There will always be opposition to every cause; but what opposition I did see this week was expressed in a more civil and humane way than in the past.  

I realize there will be comments that the economy and politics have no place in social media.  Tell that to the “traditional” media establishment that has latched on to social media with gusto.  News reports and political analyses are posted on the Internet for a reason.  These posts build up viewership by openly inviting commentary.  Even more significant is that the political parties have become more social media savvy.  They understand that our voices are necessary to formulate a successful platform.  When we are silent, we do both them and ourselves a huge disservice.

One personal theory is that a majority of the American populace doesn't care. I know it is simplistic; but for whatever reason we have become a society that focuses on the issues that we “perceive” to affect us directly. Politically, in one way or another, everything affects every one of us.  An extremely simplistic example would be to ask a random sampling their thoughts on yesterday’s basketball scores, or how their favorite golfer did in the Master’s tournament, or what did they think of the photo just posted of Sally dancing on the table. Compare it to their thoughts on the state of our economy or the agendas of our political parties or even North Korea's nuclear threats.  I am afraid that Sally’s dancing photo would probably get more comments, or at least likes.

Do yourself a favor; the next time you scroll through your daily news feed and notifications, take a moment between the animal photos, the birthday wishes, status updates and the event invites.  Click on a post you normally would have ignored.  Don’t be afraid to post a comment on how you really feel.  Share the post with your friends and connections in your social media network.  Engage them in conversation.  There will definitely be differences of opinion; that is to be expected..  However, it will open up the possibility of learning that there may be a point of view that you never considered before.

We need to be more vocal when we read something we either agree or disagree with.  We also need to find a way to take our thoughts and ideas back to streets; away from the computer and perceived sense of anonymity. If you are not comfortable with marching down Main Street carrying a sign and chanting, so be it.  It will take baby steps.  For a difference to be made and for change to occur, there needs to be civil dialogue. That dialogue must start with us.

Remember to Diversify Your Message

How often do we see a business, organization and, even, an institution of higher learning become so focused on one product or service that they forget about diversifying their message to their customer and donor base?  The recent fiasco surrounding Penn State University is a case in point.

Throughout the years, their focus has been on the football program and its coach.  While I am neither willing or able to pass judgement on the validity of the accomplishments on and off the field of the program; I, like everyone else, am all too aware of the damage that has been done to the reputation of the university overall.  

The apparent shortsightedness of the university of focusing its branding activities solely on the football program will be extremely difficult to overcome.  They are now facing a major nightmare with regard to the students, alumni, donors and community at large.  They failed to diversify their message over the years and chose to focus on a single program to increase enrollment and donations.

Businesses and organizations, large and small, should be taking heed of these recent developments.  While it is wonderful that you have a top selling product or service, always remember the entire package.  You never know when disaster of any type will hit your business or organization.

Of course, should the worse case scenario happen, you will still be facing a public relations problem.  However, having the foresight of diversifying your branding message all along, the hit may not be as big as Penn State now faces.  I wish them luck in their reputation recovery efforts.

Has the Internet & Social Media Made Us More Gullible?

The above image and similar facsimiles made their way around the social media sites this week.  They traveled the internet highway faster than the Delorean in the referenced movie.  Unfortunately, the cinematic facts were wrong.  Marty McFly actually transported to October 21, 2015.


This does illustrate how gullible we have become with regard to what we see and read on the internet.  Granted, this image and many others like it are not life shattering in any way.  However, due to our increased sense of taking everything for face value, there are many more misconceptions being shared across the world wide web which could have a dramatic effect on us - socially, politically, environmentally and economically.


So before you click on that share or retweet button, make sure the facts are correct.  Do a little research on the issue.  Your clicking finger could probably use the rest anyway.

Print Journalism's Survival In the Social Media Age

The key to a successfully run newspaper is the content.  It is the driving force behind the readership numbers.  If these numbers are up, the publisher is happy; the advertisers are happy and above all else the readers are happy.  Having the wherewithal to anticipate the readers’ interests in a subject and then to report on it in a professional manner is a fundamental component of journalism.

In this age of social media, newspapers have lost some of their edge with regard to landing the “scoop”.  Many times, the subject is being discussed on the social media sites before the newsprint is dry.  A newspaper is best served when it utilizes the skills of the professional journalist in conjunction someone who has both the ability to follow the trends on social media sites and is familiar with the area it serves and its demographic base. By utilizing a teamwork approach as a management style, the work product tends to be of a better quality since everyone has had a hand in its creation.

A newspaper's staff must have a thorough understanding of economy’s effects on both local businesses and the residents.  They must realize the difficulties facing our education institutions and the effect they have on the residents.  In the instances where the newspaper is considered a local publication as opposed to a national one such as The New York Times or Wall Street Journal, the editorial board needs to recognize which political subjects are relevant in terms of newsworthiness.  Simply because a national political story is trending on the social media sites, does not mean that the newspaper needs to focus all their resources on that topic; unless it is able to relate it to how the event effects the local demographic.

Social media has created competition between all news sources and, in its quest for survival, print journalism has had to join in the fracas.  It needs to rethink its management style and the way it presents itself to the community it serves.  If it doesn't adjust to the changing times, it will only alienate it current readership and lose out on the potential of many more.

Update:  Since the original publication of this post on May 8, 2012, a lot has transpired in the world of print journalism.  Many newspapers have gone through a dramatic shift in how they engage with their readership both in print and online. Many papers have transformed their online sites into multimedia sites with the addition of accompanying videos. There has been an increase in the frequency of posts on the various social media platforms which affords their fans a greater opportunity for engagement. From all appearances, there does seem to have been an increase in fan comments. Unfortunately, this increase in engagement continues to seem one sided. Whether it be on Facebook, Google Plus and, even, Twitter, the newspaper sites are still lacking on their part in responding the reader comments.  Even more disconcerting is the fact that we have seen many experienced journalists lose their jobs all in the name of cutting operating costs.  In my opinion, that is tantamount to a dairy farmer getting rid of his cows so he can save a few bucks. Once the farmer resorts to such drastic cost cutting measures, is he still considered a dairy farmer? The experienced journalist - whether it be print, broadcast, or online - is the one asset a news organization must never let go of. Is the loss of experienced journalists the last gasping breath of the newspaper industry?