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What Social Media Sites are Used for News More?
The age of social media is certainly a fascinating one. Well, in hindsight, that depends on who you are asking really because we all have our opinions about social media. As time goes by, more and more people are coming to terms with the fact that social media is fast wearing off the tag of alternative media.
Users are increasingly moving from using social media sites for entertainment information on subjects like gaming, online casino CA updates and gossip to relying on the platforms as official news channels. This trend is happening everywhere, in Canada, the USA, the UK, China, India and even in African countries like Nigeria, South Africa and Kenya, you name it. Millions of the world’s population are turning to sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and other media that have in the past been labeled as unconventional for news.
But why would that be? First of all, they are different. Yes, this feeds into the unconventional label, but people are simply yearning for something different. They don’t want what they are used to seeing in their normal news channels or newspapers every day. Also, with social media sites, anyone can convey news, unlike in the mainstream, where that mandate is left to a select few professionals. Don’t get it wrong, though; this isn’t entirely a positive concept. While there’s a lot of good in alternative news sources like social media, it is also the leading source of fake news, which has become a monster that we are all trying to fight. That being said, here is a look at the social media sites that are currently popularly used for news.
Facebook and Twitter Lead the Way
According to a report from the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, Facebook and Twitter stand head and shoulders above the rest. Global populations are increasingly using the two for news more than any other social media platform. Well, if you think about it, this isn’t such a surprise. That’s because it also comes down to the age groups synonymous with using these two social media platforms. Facebook and Twitter attract a more mature audience that is likely to be interested in more news content than perhaps the younger generation.
It’s no wonder why journalists have recently embraced these two social media sites, in particular, and are even branding their news in a manner likely to fit in well with Facebook and Twitter users. News organizations have noticed the trend, and of course, you will find all the big names you could think of with Facebook and Twitter accounts. The likes of CNN, Fox News, BBC and Al Jazeera, just to mention a few, have a huge following on these platforms.
The other reason why these two platforms have such a huge following is probably because of how fast they convey news. More often than not, any breaking news usually breaks through Twitter and Facebook first before it gradually spreads across mainstream media. And even though these two platforms often attract a mature audience compared to other social media sites, it doesn’t mean that younger generations aren’t interested in the latest news. Much younger audiences are also more likely to get their news from Facebook and Twitter as opposed to mainstream sources.
The Hard-to-Reach Demographic
There is an age group of people under the age of 25 that many consider pretty hard to reach when it comes to conveying news. The thing with this dynamic demographic is that you have to try hard to capture their attention. This is why social media apps like YouTube and TikTok have done exceptionally well with this group.
With good reason, there’s a tendency by many to shrug off TikTok as” just a dancing app” by many. However, the truth of the matter is that this app has taken off, especially among this demographic, and the media houses have taken notice. They have, in turn, responded by setting up TikTok accounts and setting up newsworthy content in a way that they figure will attract the masses.
As the times continue to change, it has now become the norm to view YouTube as an in-between when we discuss the subject of popular news sources. There is a mix of everything on YouTube, with the conventional news outlets having a massive following on the video-sharing platform. But that’s not all, though: there are also many people who aren’t attached to the major news outlets but still use YouTube as their news source. The video-sharing and streaming site has impressively created an environment where these two different styles of news reporting are all thriving side by side.
Other Social Media News Sources
Besides Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, there are a lot of other social media platforms that are used as news sources. For instance, Instagram and Snapchat, which are just like TikTok, appeal to the much younger population. Additionally, there are loads of other examples of social media platforms used as news sources, thanks to their large user base. They include:
- Tumblr
- Twitch
Of all the platforms we’ve discussed today, where do you get your news? Let us know right here in the comments section!