Facebook works through the ability to post and respond, like and unlike and consistently comment on posts. Twitter is even more immediate through literally continuous updates from all those you choose to “follow”. Facebook started out as such as small outlet, originating at Harvard University and eventually developing into an international phenomenon. Twitter was not well known at all until a few years ago and already journalists are using twitter to report the news. The majority of the public are involved in at least one social media outlet.
Even though some people are still confused on how the outlets work, they are known to the public and have become a vital resource. As people have learned more about technology they have learned more about utilizing it. The development of laptops and handheld products with various applications has allowed audiences to utilize things like Facebook and twitter within their everyday lives. Technology allows the public to share information within an instant, which is why the field of communications has changed so drastically. The following interview exposes the role of Facebook and twitter within the life of a college student here at the University of Maryland.
Within the UMD community, many are well aware of the diamondback, UMTV and WMUC which are the on campus paper, TV and radio station. In addition to these outlets the university has hopped on the social media train. The University has its own Facebook and Twitter account which are both frequently updated with new events and news items. The media aspects of the University and the new approaches that UMD has taken have also become the norm amongst other local and national media outlets.
A common topic of the J150 class is new technology and how it effects mass communications. The field of mass communications has changed drastically within the last few years and there are even more developments to come. Looking at how Maryland has changed their approach to mass media is a great example of how times have changed. Within national and local issues it has also become clear that social media outlets are taking the place of news outlets. This is because social media allows everyone to participate in the news and provides a level of interactivity between reporter and audience that has not been available prior to the social media revolution. In general, social media has become a quicker resource and are what the public tunes into more regularly. Technology allows the public to share information within an instant, which is why the field of communications has changed so drastically. The following interview shows how college students use social media as a vital news source. It shows how mass communications has changed and how this generation utilizes media outlets.
This is all very true, and I think it will be interesting to see how far into the social networking universe UMD will go.
ReplyDeleteI would suggest adding some links to provide more in-depth content for readers. For example, you could link to UMD's facebook and twitter accounts in case somebody was interested and wanted to see them. Also, maybe you could talk about the public alert system. I find it really useful and it is an innovating way that UMD uses mass media to inform students. Lastly, you might want to break up your post into a few paragraphs just to make it a bit easier to read.
Overall it is very good, though!