Our generation would be lost without social media. How else would we be able to keep in touch with our old friends, procrastinate doing our homework, or waste time in class?
But when Facebook and Twitter were introduced to (older) journalists, it took a lot of getting used to. The media wrestled with how these social networking sites should be utilized, if at all, in newsgathering, reporting, and reaching the public. On one hand, the Internet was a great way to entice a population-young adults like us-that was increasingly becoming elusive and disinterested in the news. But on the other hand, journalism’s foray into social media presented new challenges and ethical debates.
Yet with time, the efforts of journalists and news outlets to incorporate social media in their daily routines succeeded. Whether your interest is in sports, entertainment, gossip, health, local news or anything else, you can follow a Twitter feed to get breaking information. You can subscribe to the Facebook pages of your favorite TV personalities, journalists, analysts or public figures to stay up-to-date with their lives. On Tumblr, you can connect with people who are live blogging award shows, debates, premieres, or other newsworthy events. In short, thanks to the Internet, news is not only accessible online, but it’s interactive, too.
The Ramapo News hardly had a social media presence until a few years ago, thanks to a dedicated effort from our old staff and the persistence of our current Web Editor Kaitlin McGuinness. But it isn’t just enough for us to set up these accounts; we’ve been working hard to make better use of them, too. And, with the launch of our website, we’re always looking for ways to make our news fresh, well-rounded, and impactful for our readers.
So, connect with us. You can find us on Facebook (Ramapo News), where we post some of our best content, important information, a multitude of photos you won’t find in print, ways to contribute to our coverage, and all of the “behind the scenes” scoop you’ve been dying to know about our editorial board. On Twitter (@RamapoNews), follow us to chat with our editors, send us news tips, stay in the know about campus and national news, and even catch some live updates from campus events.
And, in case you missed it, check out our awesome spring concert live Tweeted coverage from the fabulous team of Danielle Reed, Brian Rocha, Candace Mitchell, Justin Roth and Nicole Williams. They put together quite a spread-photos, exclusive interviews with the bands, and a play-by-play of the concert. If this is the future of journalism, I’m proud to say my editors are leading the way.
That’s all the news for now-Nicole
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nalliegr@ramapo.edu
