According to recent comScore data, 98 percent of the U.S. online population uses social media, where a majority of this population also seeks their breaking news. Some of the biggest news reports of 2011, including Osama bin Laden’s death, were first reported on social media. While this may mean we are able to get our news faster and more efficiently, before reporters even have a chance to write the story, does it also ensure that the stories are always factual?
Some of you may remember when Penn State’s infamous head football coach, Joe Paterno, was in the hospital for his declining health when several false reporting’s were made of Mr. Paterno’s death via Twitter. For sensitive reasons such as this one, reporting through social media still needs to be taken with a grain of salt, although it surely is developing into a revolutionary method for receiving news. What do you think about social media as a news source? Weigh in here.