Good Bye Breakfast TV, Hello Facebook.

FACEBOOK OWNS ME

OJ1#1
This week, I begin my discussion on online news. I am the first to wave the online news flag. I love www.news.com.au, consume copious ABC news 24 online live streams, adore the Huffington post and watch The Young Turks YouTube videos. But I have a deep, dark secret. A truth I rarely tell. A dirty habit that possesses me. It haunts my daily life and as a wannabe Journo, is shameful and naughty.


I get my news first and fore mostly from Facebook and Twitter. It’s not the broad sheet I open up first thing in the morning, it’s my social networking pages. I know there are many like me out there, those of us who Googled Mossman after it trended on twitter, heard Penny Wong was expecting from a Facebook news feed, learnt Amy Winehouse was dead via a status update and re-tweeted a prayer for Norway, before checking any official reports.


It is a daunting phenomenon but when properly considered, not unusual. The original form of storytelling was word of mouth, neighbours and friends spreading everything from vital facts to local gossip, casually throughout the day. Facebook and Twitter are giant online, global communities. While they lack the human touch and often tell you more then you need (or want) to know about your third cousins, boyfriends, sisters personal life, they are valuable tools, capable of spreading a message in seconds.


It is a message we sometimes need to be cautious of. Numerous celebrities have been falsely proclaimed dead, rumours of political takeovers and fabricated quotations regularly appear online via social media. It is then I turn to the traditional sources of news. When it comes down to it, I still rely on the big players and their hacks. Constantly, I come crawling back in search of clarity and accuracy. But they aren’t my first port of call. Australian news broadcaster, ABC recognises people like me, with a dedicated political tweeter. Members of the media, the public and interested parties learn of political developments via reporter Latika Bourke’s Twitter feed. Updates from a trusted source keep everyone informed and provide a safe place, with reliable material readily available.

And for now, it's working.