Social Media and Truth

Today on the Huffington Post Los Angeles, I learned that the Clippers finally reached a deal with the Boston Celtics to send Doc Rivers to Los Angeles. The Clippers offered a three-year deal worth $21 million to Rivers releasing Rivers from his current Celtics contract. This was made possible because the Celtics received an unprotected 2015 first round draft pick for the exchange. Although the NBA must approve the deal, it doesn’t seem as if either side believes the approval will be an issue.

I feel that the information reported was using the journalistic method of verification, which means that the journalist is reporting facts that have been reviewed and verified.

Bill Kovach and Tom Rosenstiel believe in a core set of concepts that form the foundation of the discipline of verification....

1. Never add anything that was not there.

2. Never deceive the audience.

3. Be transparent about your methods and motives.

4. Rely on your own original reporting.

5. Exercise humility.

The Huffington Post accurately depicted the information about the Doc Rivers trade between the two NBA teams. I researched a little more by going to ESPN and reading up on the trade. I trust ESPN because ESPN is the hub for all sports news and for the most part, their stories are accurate and depict the most up to date information on all sports. I also went to both the Celtics and the Clippers team page to read up on the trade. The information posted in the Huffington Post was accurate and reflected the news both the teams specified on their sites.

Social media has led to paradigm shifts in ways people work and do business, interact and socialize, learn and obtain knowledge. This has happened so much that social media has established itself as an important three-dimensional extension of international challenges. The extensive amount of broadcasting and published media content due to social media has turned the information from trusting to doubting the system. When information cannot be trusted, the effects are shown through the deactivation of accounts, people making multiple profiles with false information, and an overabundance of inactive blogs, accounts, etc.

I use university sites, library sites, and scholarly journals as credible social media sources. I may check the publishers names and do a little background check to double check the information is coming from a reputable source, but they tend to be pretty accurate.

With any social media, you need to make sure that the information is credible if you are planning on using it more than just for your own personal use.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/23/clippers-doc-rivers-trade-celtics-agreement_n_3487720.html?utm_hp_ref=los-angeles&ir=Los%20Angeles&utm_hp_ref=los-angeles

New Media: Positive or Negative

Wikipedia refers to new media as “a possibility of on-demand access to content anytime, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community formation around the media content.” I mostly use Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube, as well as good old fashion texting as part of my new media, however, I occasionally blog and use podcasts.

New media allows me to connect with people for information and services locally, nationally, and worldwide. I can collaborate with other people on a number of different topics, whether it be work related, or for entertainment purposes. I am also able to create new content and channels of communication that help me deliver information and services accordingly.

So far, my new media experiences have been predominantly positive. I have had the ability to reach people from all different backgrounds, educations, and beliefs. While not everyone agrees with the information I may put out, or the opinions I may have, new media allows me to express and share information I may have, as well as learn from other information that is given to me.

New media as a whole can have both positive and negative effects on society. “Social networks has provided us the opportunity to connect with people and build better relationships with friends with whom we are unable to meet personally”  (Ali, 2012). With new media we are able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions over diverse issues with a large number of viewers. However, there are some studies that have concluded that new media can make a person isolated and that in some cases can lead to addiction. “Because of social networks the interaction with other people has become effortless and people have isolated their lives behind their online identities” (Ali, 2012). Likewise, productivity has gone down because people are consumed with their alter egos or just accessing and producing information for the world to see.

New media isn’t going anywhere so it is important for people to understand how to properly use it effectively without being consumed by the overabundance of information. It is challenging to know when to switch off your communication and have a face to face conversation with someone, however, most individuals can coexist easily utilizing new media proactively and at a level that is appropriate.

Ali, S. (2012, August 8). Social Media- A good think or a bad thing? Retrieved on June 18, 2013 from http://socialmediatoday.com/syed-noman-ali/608781/social-media-good-thing-or-bad-thing.

Wikipedia. (2013). New Media. Retrieved on June 18, 2013 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_media.