The world is increasingly connected, and social media is at the forefront of that growth, participating as a medium for communication and the chance to reach a global audience with just the touch of a few buttons. Readers and viewers are now on the other end of a touch screen. They are not just consuming news and entertainment, they are participating in it.
Though social media has been around for years, its impact and the importance of digital citizenship have gained a lot of attention.
“When the President uses social media to win the presidency, that’s how you know it’s here to stay,” said Daisy Gonzalez, Chief Communications Officer for MDCPS.
Social media is now a part of daily life, said the panelists. And as people’s digital footprint continues to grow, so too do the dangers, challenges and opportunities. At the second Student Social Media Journalism Forum held this year, five panelists joined the discussion and answered a variety of questions from MDCPS students on how social media has affected their jobs and their lives.
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“Social media has allowed us to take these micro messages and spread them to the community,” said Matthew Beatty on The Miami Foundation #GiveMiamiDay campaign.
Students at the forum were eager to ask for advice on using social media to communicate and ask about how social media has changed the way news organizations report.
Staffers eagerly line up to ask the panelists a few questions about journalism and the impact of social media #MDCPSconnects pic.twitter.com/NOLBbAJRUd
— The Harbinger (@HarbingerMLEC) March 21, 2017
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“Social media has added another dimension to the way we work. People don’t just watch stories on TV, they watch online, on phones,” said Ari Odzer about the rise of social media, “We have to feed the beast of social media.”
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This, the panelists agreed, was both good and bad. Information is out there and it moves quickly, but often that pressures reporters to report while stories are unfolding.
“Credibility is very important. Resist the urge of wanting to be first versus being truthful and accurate,” said Patricia Hurtado de Mendoza.
"Involved citizens make for a better country and better journalism" – @ariodzernbc6 #MDCPSConnects
— Reef Class of '18 (@18CRHS) March 21, 2017
Social media has impacted everyone around the world, but for millennials it is a platform they grew up with and have used for as long as they remember.
“I’ve come to realize social media is so powerful. We grew up with social media in every sense of the word,” said Marcus Frias.
Each panelist offered their insight on the huge rise of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat- the most common social media platforms. They shared personal experiences on the impact it’s had in their classrooms to the field. But most importantly offered advice to future journalists, reporters and truth seekers.
"It is not glamorous! There will be times where you must drop it all and get to work." #MDCPSConnects Student Social Media Journalism Forum pic.twitter.com/KFX2SAvi85
— Gables Live! (@gableslive) March 21, 2017
“Opinions belong to you, but facts belong to truth… journalism relies on facts,” said Superintendent Alberto M. Carvalho during the forum.
Marcus Frias answers "What can we do to climb up the ladder and reach our goals?" #MDCPSconnects https://t.co/tFkpjEfhQw
— The Harbinger (@HarbingerMLEC) March 21, 2017
The panelists included Matthew Beatty, the Director of Communications at The Miami Foundation; Neyda Borges, teacher at Miami Lakes Educational Center and sponsor for The Harbinger Newspaper; Marcus Frias, a student at FIU and former CBS 4 intern who served as a member of M-DCPS’ Social Media Student Advisory Committee; Patricia Hurtado de Mendoza, who works for Univision 23 Miami and an Emmy-award nominated reporter; and Ari Odzer, an NBC6 general assignment reporter and four-time Emmy winner.
See more of The Harbinger’s coverage of the forum here.
