The Move to Online News Sources

The way news is consumed in today’s world is very different than in previous generations. Face-to-face conversations are down significantly compared to previous generations since smartphones became ubiquitous. So is the percentage of people who watch the news strictly on television or read print media. I still remember while growing up, my mom would always read the local newspaper every day after having breakfast. That is how she would get her news, read half the paper in the morning, and the other half after dinner. She would also watch the news on TV before going to sleep. If there was anything in the news that outraged her that day, she would call her sister to complain and they would discuss it. The news for her was consumed at a far slower pace and from very limited sources. This is still her routine now although she now watches more TV being retired and reads less.

Nowadays people like my mom are a dying breed. I get my news strictly online, I do not watch broadcast TV at all. Like most people I have my smartphone with me all the time, so breaking stories I typically get while browsing social media or from a text from a friend. Most of the time Twitter will have reports of sensational news before the mainstream media does. I am also a member of several Whatsapp groups so I get the news that way. In these groups, news reports are discussed and debated virtually. My circle friends mostly get their news online too. I don't have any friends that don't get most of their news via online websites. 

How news is gathered is also changing. Videos taken with smartphones provide a ground view of what is going on during crises like riots, or protests that a traditional mainstream video camera can’t due to its intrusive size. A large camera lets everyone know they are being recorded, but a smart is unobtrusive. I think more and more breaking news will be coming via viral videos first with the mainstream media playing catch up.