April 10th, 2010 by Rachel | Tags: Anthropology, Facebook, News Media, Technology, Twitter | No Comments »
While this article on how we can help progressive journalism speaks about how we can ensure that we are receiving accurate information in the news, and how we can find progressive news in spite of Rush Limbaugh and Glen Beck having big powers to exploit the news media, one part of the article struck me and made me ponder greatly. This particular quote spoke about how Facebook and Twitter are actually changing the way we interact with the news by posting the news on either sites:
Post it. Facebook just passed Google as the most visited US website, which means friends’ recommendations can be a huge force in effecting social change. So use your Facebook and Twitter accounts to post that riveting article you just finished and spark dialogue and action on the issues.
Before the existence of Facebook and Twitter, having conversations about news was always reserved to my friends whom I saw at school on regular basis and families. Nowadays, I have conversations with people across the globe including with friends from Greece, Singapore, and New Zealand. I have to say that it is a positive change because I enjoy hearing point of views from foreign people, as I know their views can be different from many Americans. When I post news about happenings in the US, I always enjoy hearing what foreign people think about the political stance in our country because what happens in our country can affect the rest of the world. Sometimes hearing from my foreign friends gives me a second thought.
Also, when the government speaks about proposing new laws or changing laws in the US, and if the proposals follow the footsteps of other countries, my friends share their experiences to let us know if they work or not. For instance, when the US government was proposing a universal health care, my foreign friends from UK and Canada where universal health care exist, shared their views on having universal health care by telling us whether it works well for them or not. Sharing their views help me make informed and educated opinions.
When I post news about a particular country, I always appreciate hearing from my foreign friends, as the story can be different in their country. For instance, when a riot occurred in France in 2006, and the news media in the US was speaking about how dangerous France was and strongly advised the US travelers to take cautious when traveling there, my friends in France told me that the news media were exaggerating too much, and the riots were happening in only small parts of the country. This case scenario is actually a prime example of how journalists like to look through a “tube.” Thus, after hearing from my friends in France, I felt better knowing that I could still travel to France without fear.
My horizons have broadened from learning many different perspective views from not only people from different countries, but also people with various political affiliations. I gain a better understanding of why one political party has their own particular views.
