Social or anti-social?

We can’t stick our heads in the sand. Social media is here to stay — in all its iterations. It will be different next year than today, and we must stay on top of our consumer and how they want to experience our product. It’s the only way we will be able to sustain our businesses, fuel our journalism and carry out our mission to deliver the news.”

Robin Blinder, editor-in-chief, Editor & Publisher

This year, I fasted social media for Lent. Unlike many of my Lenten fasts in the past, however, I did not break the fast on Sunday every week for all social. I did skim a few business posts, but overall, this Lent was a very nonsocial one for me. The result? I wasn’t really excited about going back at the end of Lent. I think life without social media was simpler, calmer and less anxiety ridden.

I grew up in a time without social media, and at that time, I couldn’t have imagined what was in store for our world today. Social media has become a great way to stay in touch with family and friends, learn new things, find out about trends and stay up on what’s happening. It’s now, according to this year’s Reuters Digital News Report, the top source for news — especially for the younger consumer. This doesn’t surprise me in our always-on, constantly on-the-go culture. Our digital devices (especially the portables — phones, tablets and laptops) have become another appendage — like another arm.

News has also become an always-on part of our world. No longer do we need to wait for the morning or evening paper or gather around for the 6 o’clock report. News always is at our fingertips, and social media has become the place we get the news and share the news.

It was for this reason that we believed it was important to look at social media and what it means for news outlets today. Bob Sillick’s feature on our social media tells the story of social media — how it’s changed and what news outlets need to consider. What, when and where to post has now become a necessary strategy discussion for most newsrooms. And, not only has the platform for where more people get their news changed, but increasingly, that news needs to be delivered in a different way. Multimedia news has become what our consumer wants. Yes, many people still read the news, but audio and visuals are becoming more important.

It would be so easy to continue down the road we’ve been on — delivering the news the way we always have. My Lenten fast was a good “cleanse” for me, but it came to an end. We can’t stick our heads in the sand. Social media is here to stay — in all its iterations. It will be different next year than today, and we must stay on top of our consumer and how they want to experience our product. It’s the only way we will be able to sustain our businesses, fuel our journalism and carry out our mission to deliver the news. 

So, the big question is: Social media is now the top source for news. Is your newsroom ready?

Robin Blinder is E&P's editor-in-chief. She has been with E&P for five years. She can be reached at robin@editorandpublisher.com.