So, this week’s question, posed by
my teacher, is as follows,
“Social media has allowed everyday
citizens to become authors, editors, and publishers of news and
information. Do you believe that social
media has increased the quality of news and information or decreased it?”
I could see the usefulness of
social media devices in the context that they could be used to get stories to
news agencies instantly, instead of waiting for a news crew to show up to an
event of critical nature.
However, I can also see how it
could be a nuisance.
In some cases, especially
involving members of law enforcement, a passing motorist could catch footage of
multiple officers using excessive force to subdue a suspect.
What you might not see from that
footage however, is the context.
If you saw the video, you’d
instantly think, “Why?”
But, and this is on the side of
answering positively to this week’s question, with the advancement in social
media technology, another motorist could’ve caught the previously mentioned
context on video before the other motorist showed up.
If the suspect had been inebriated
on an illegal narcotic such as PCP, and began to rampage out of control while
the officers tried to subdue him, and one passing motorist had caught it on
video, then the next motorist catching the officers beating the hell out of the
suspect in a “Fight Of Their Life” situation wouldn’t be painted so darkly in
the public eye that evening on the news.
With that said, I find myself
wondering just how many people had cameras and/or smartphones or cell phones
with cameras at the Danzig Street shooting in Scarborough just a short time
ago. I then think to myself as to
whether or not the footage captured on those devices that night aided in
identifying the shooter(s).
There is the question of privacy
though.
While members of the media have a
LOT more integrity than they did in the 1900’s, there are still a few scumbags
out there that would take a video or picture out of contest, and turn it into
the biggest tabloid hellstorm of the modern era.
Coming to the conclusion, I do
believe HAS increased the quality of news and information…..to a point. There is still a dark side to it, but the
positives outweigh the negatives.
For now…..
