TweetNewz's Blog

Yesterday marked the passing of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.  It is a sad moment in history, and a time for reflection upon his many musical and personal accomplishments.

However, his death has also brought to the forefront some of the most heated topics and debates surrounding the clash between new and old media.

1. Credibility within new media

This issue can be harshly demonstrated by Perez Hilton’s lack of information and insensitivity to the magnitude of the situation yesterday.  He posted on his Twitter blog that Michael was faking his medical condition to get out of a future performance across seas.  Clearly this wasn’t the case, and these types of self-promoting bloggers are ruining credibility for those users and blogs who work hard to provide insightful and valuable content.  Although this is just one person, he has a very large following on Twitter, and can influence many more people than a typical individual blogger.

Please click the picture below for more information about the post on Mashable.

2. Timeliness when reporting news

TMZ was credited as the first to publish the news that he was dead while large news outlets and old media were behind by a few hours.  After TMZ broke the news, Twitter was skyrocketing with Michael Jackson commentary, approximately 40 minutes before the L.A. Times confirmed the report.  Supporters of new media feel this is just another example of how new media is becoming a more powerful medium for posting and sharing news.  On the other hand, old media believe TMZ just guessed and got lucky.  They feel that sites like TMZ lack credibility in the long haul within the consumer’s mind.

For a more thorough look at this debate check out the following article on Techcrunch.

Whichever side you support, it is easy to see how these two issues stir up such a wide array of controversy.  While new media can provide the speed of information, they often lack the credibility, i.e. Perez Hilton.  As for old media, they must continue to establish a strong bond of trust with their consumer, but most importantly, they can’t continue to ignore the power of new media.  Instead they should look for a way to incorporate it and add value to their reporting.

At the 140 Characters Conference in New York, Robert Scoble hosted a passionate discussion with social-media-savvy traditional news personalities to explore how Twitter was transforming the process of gathering news and lead sourcing.

The major topic discussed was the recent use of Twitter during the Iran elections, and the evolution of “now” media.  Some at the conference feel Twitter will serve as the catalyst for the evolution of news judgment and connecting directly with citizens.  Traditional media members acknowleged that they are not covering the news at a fast enough pace, but also warned that many people who were posting tweets during the Iran elections were grossly informed.  With Twitter enthusiasts and traditional media each debating for their cause, there is only one thing that is certain, a fundamental change in the news machine itself is drawing close.

Click on the picture below to view the original Techcrunch post:

I think Clayton Morris of Fox News said it best, “We have reached a tipping point with new, traditional, and social media.  It’s conversation versus fact checking, and no one has answers to where this convergence is leading.”

We found some great videos today covering  journalism and new social media outlets:

Journalism and Social Media: Video Interview

Insight on the merging of traditional journalism and independents, the credibility of current media outlets, and the future of the newspaper industry.

The News Gets Social: Video Interview with an NBC Journalist and a Blogger

A discussion about how bloggers and journalists function together in reporting the news.

A special thanks to Jolie O’Dell and her team for providing the video.