Unrestricted Web Publishing

I chose an online news article from The New York Times titled In Coverage of N.F.L. Scandals, Female Voices Puncture the Din.  The article is about the recent controversy over domestic violence charges against two N.F.L. players, the effect their stories have on the N.F.L. fan base, and how it has become a groundbreaking moment for female sports broadcasters to provide a women’s perspective that has developed into “a turning point that could bring them more fully into the conversation” (Mahler, 2014).

The article sites several other news sources, including other sports related sites, news articles, and video clips.  The most common sources the article used was from ESPN SportsCenter and espnW, CNN, The Washington Post, SB Nation, the Boston Herald, and Fox Sports.  I find that all of the source are all very credible based off of multiple reasons.  First, they all offer articles or news information posted from credible journalists who have been following and reporting on the story from the beginning, and they all have a connection to the story by either first-hand experience, or by understanding because of the female perspective they have to offer.

The author of the article, Jon Mahler, has been a writer for the New York Times Magazine for over a decade, and is also a best-selling author.  He has written numerous sports related columns, articles, books, and cover stories (Lynch, 2014).  Also, the article shows its credibility by including information that has been collected within the last few weeks since these domestic violence issues became public.  All of the information from each news source is collected from a professional website from professional organization, many of which are specifically sports organizations.

This article shows the capability of how powerful unrestricted web publishing can be when used through mass media.  It allows writers to gather information from multiple stories, which in this case allows the author to gather stories from multiple sports related sites, journalists, and broadcasters.  Unrestricted web publishing also can benefit audiences because it gives them the opportunity to read an article that has information from many other sources, which can give them the most reliable and helpful news combined into one story.

 
Lynch, M. (2014, March 28). Jonathan Mahler to join Times media desk | Capital New York. Jonathan Mahler to join Times media desk | Capital New York. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/media/2014/03/8542817/jonathan-mahler-join-emtimesem-media-desk

Mahler, J. (2014, September 21). In Coverage of N.F.L. Scandals, Female Voices Puncture the Din. The New York Times. Retrieved September 21, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/22/sports/football/after-nfl-scandals-female-journalists-find-stronger-voice.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&version=HpSumSmallMediaHigh&module=second-column-region®ion=top-news&WT.nav=top-news

Social Media and Truth

When it comes to social media, I know what I know basically from trial and error.  I was never taught to use any social media sources growing up, I think it was just something that developed naturally by exploring and learning on my own time and in my own way.  I use what I have learned from exploring social media to find new breaking stories or news updates.  I use social media a majority of the time for finding and reading stories that are interesting to me.  A lot of the time I read most stories from sources such as the Huffington Post, Buzzfeed, or the Times.  Stories from those sources get shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter, they end up covering my newsfeed, and that's typically how I am able to find new information that I am interested in rather easily.  By using social media sites I was able to quickly find out news such as the death on Joan Rivers, the news that Prince William and Kate are expecting, and even that my local college team won their first football game of the season today! 

 

For the most part I feel as though stories that I read are credible when they are posted and shared on multiple sites at the same time.  Stories that are posted on those credible sites are what I trust when it comes to reading any topic of breaking news.  I have to admit, there have been a few incidents where I have clicked on a story that I thought to be true, but turns out to be an elaborate hoax that has been posted and shared since it was created in like 2008.  Stories like that are definitely the most annoying!

 

I feel that stories on each individual media site could be a lot more reliable by getting all facts straight before reporting.  A lot of the time it seems sites are more eager to be the first to make a breaking news report, rather than post accurate and reliable information.

Influence of the Media

When it comes to social media I think it’s safe to say that I’m borderline addicted; but honestly, who isn’t?  I wake up in the morning and as soon as my alarm goes off I’m on my phone checking emails, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and any other form of pop culture news I can get my hands on, and this is all done before even getting out of bed!  I use social media in all aspects of my day-to-day life, whether it’s communicating with family, checking up on an old friend, or maybe even reading about the latest celebrity gossip or breaking news. 

Social media has helped shaped the way our society lives today, and it has definitely made both positive and negative impacts along the way.  Social media is a great way to stay in touch with family and friends, and it also serves as a quick and easy way to retrieve the latest news updates.  Social media can also have some pretty negative side effects as well.  We can gain so much knowledge and information from media sources that’s readily available at our finger tips, we forget how easy it is to get absorbed into something interesting on our phone for hours at a time.  Most people, including myself, can get easily wrapped up into all of the social media apps on our phones that we lose track of what’s happening in the real world.  Social media straddles a very thin line of good and bad, both of which can be exciting and scary at the same time.