From the desk of Patrick Ward...
Recently we explored the current state of news
consumption in print. We did
that – as we said then — mostly as a way to wrap some perspective around where
news consumption appears to be headed.
So now we’d like to turn our sights on that perspective.
Worldwide usage of social networking is plainly on the rise
with both Facebook and Twitter experiencing dramatic increases in membership.
Facebook has over 400 million users, according to its own statistics. Not only are users increasing (Facebook
alone had 130 million unique visitors in May 2010) but the time spent on these
web sites now also averages over six
hours per month. With such a large captive audience, social networks offer
a multitude of opportunities, from making new contacts to sharing news and
information.
Social network users are not merely connecting statically.
In fact, many people who initially create a connection through a social
networking medium are likely to follow up and maintain that
relationship through the use of email, phone conversations, or in-person
meetings.
A PEW Research Center report
points out that news is increasingly becoming a social activity. The report tells us that:
·
71%
of adults get their news online
·
75%
of them say they get news forwarded to them through email or posts on
social networking sites
· 65% of Internet users say they read at least some of this forwarded content; and more than half of those say they read all or most of that news
Of
those adults who receive news through social networks, many say they pass it
along. Social networkers are more likely to select a news source based on how
easy it is to share that source’s stories through social networks. Of all social
network users, 51%
report that on a typical day they receive news from social networks, like
Facebook and Twitter.
With the rise of social networking, users are becoming
increasingly reliant upon these networks as trusted sources of news and
information. This has obvious
implications on traditional news organizations but also portends the
opportunities for other ‘brands’ to become sources of news and news
content. At present, the vast
majority of the ‘distributors’ of news on social networks is comprised of
individuals. But, as more and more
commercial
social network pages emerge and attract supporters, those companies will
certainly become sources of news and other information -- both their own and
curated from other places -- for their communities.
For some, the idea of individual companies circulating news
directly to the public without the traditional filter of a news organization
smacks of self-promotion. It may
also undermine journalistic efforts. And certainly some might take
advantage -- an iPhone gaming
company was accused of pumping up supposedly independent reviews last
year. But, let’s not throw out
the baby with the bath water. There
is no inherent ethical issue here, so long as companies exercise intelligence
and judgment in what they share with communities. There is a growing sentiment that content
may define the next era of the Internet. If so, then companies have an emerging opportunity to turn
the growing affinity for online news into an opportunity to evince their market
perspectives forcefully and effectively.
