Whenever I’m asked about my major, people scoff at my response.
“Journalism! Bah! That’s a dying field,” they would say.
Well, that’s just not true. Journalism, I would argue, has expanded and evolved.
With the advent of social networking, people have become bombarded by news.
When I was promoted to Social Media Editor this semester at The BG News, I had to experiment with networking and promotion.
My job is essentially to promote our website and news stories on Facebook and Twitter in hope for more followers, likes and website views.
So, yes, I am the one spamming the University’s Facebook with stories.
This new position has given me a new appreciation for how news has had to adapt and compete with the changing tides the Internet has brought.
We have become overwhelmed with so much news content – from professional news sites to blogs to Reddit – that it’s hard for us to filter what content we want. News sources have to compete with each other in order to get views.
Journalists have to tweet live at events. We have to create a Web presence. We are constantly pushed to get the scoop on other papers. It’s not just about writing the story; it’s about throwing in the bells and whistles, too.
With this higher demand placed on journalists, there is no way we can go out of business.
If anything, we’re being forced to make ourselves more marketable, and I don’t think we can complain.
So while there may be some set backs in print subscriptions, the online community is booming.
Where do you get your news from? Facebook? Twitter? How did you all find out about the threat of SOPA and PIPA? Most likely through Google and your friends posting statuses on Facebook. Same with Joe Paterno’s death.
While I personally like CNN.com, I usually find out about bigger news through my social media feed before I can do further research.
Seeing as social networking has become a big player in spreading news, it validates my new position and proves journalism is thriving.
Since I began my editor position, BGnews.com has received more views and our Facebook and Twitter pages have become more active amongst our subscribers.
By shifting our focus more on social media and networking, our paper has noticed overall improvements. And that’s only just the beginning.
We’re flirting with different ways to promote ourselves and think outside the box in order to attract more viewers.
I promised my editors at the beginning of the semester that I would promote the heck out of us on the Internet in order to better the site, and if you want to get philosophical and mushy about this, I guess you can apply our tactics to your own life.
Self-promotion can only help you, be it in your job or life.
If you branch out and experiment with new ideas, you just might find what you were seeking.
Oh, and if you’re still reading this, please like The BG News on facebook.com/bgviews!
It makes my job easier, and you can say, “Hey, I know the annoying spammer that runs the Facebook now, because I read his mediocre column in the paper! Like!”
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