Social Media and Journalism

     The published pieces from the Atlantic speak for each other. In the article " Against 'Long-Form Journalism' " we are reading information that takes much longer to read than the video "How is Social Media Changing Journalism" which makes similar points in much less time. "Against 'Long Form Journalism' " comes from one point of view arguing that brevity is important and that the way magazines categorize works is important as well. Bennet asks: "Reader, do you feel enticed to plunge into a story by the distinction that it is long?" By asking this seemingly rhetorical question we notice the importance of cutting out unnecessary words that cause works to become over-lengthy. The world's greatest novel writers cut out extra elements in their stories to keep the mystery and the reader can then put the pieces together as they read and fill in the rest with their imagination. As long as the reader is able to maintain the point you are making that is the only thing you need to convey in a successful piece- nothing extra.  Writers may sometimes lose importance and understanding of their readers because of the length. Bennet addresses the notion that long stories are not always of good quality by stating "editors are discovering that not just headlines but overall quality matters more and more, whether a story is short or long." This statement is important because he is reinstating that extra words don't make things better but also that short pieces are not always the good pieces either. The quality of a good work, to Bennet, means that it's good on its own and it covers all the points that it needs to, without overdoing it or overwhelming the reader. Toward the end of his article Bennet states that "Length is hardly the quality that most meaningfully classifies these stories. Yet there’s a real conundrum here: If long-form doesn’t fit, what term is elastic enough to encompass the varied journalism it has come to represent, from narrative to essay, profile to criticism?" There is a clear danger in advertising long pieces, as "Long- Form" because of the negative reaction to the time it may consume to read it. The time however takes nothing away from quality and I believe that is the point he has been trying to allude to. 

     Social Media is a way where authors can hit on the main points and share ideas in a faster, more effective, free way. "How Social Media is Changing Journalism" interviews a few different people who's opinions agree that it has changed journalism. One of the interviewees makes the point that social media allows a direct connection to people and works. Another states that the internet and social media reaches to speak to a wider audience and I think that a lot of the reason for that is because internet news can travel much faster to people than printed works. Another interviewee talks about the importance of people participating with the works, which I think is also very important. People can share internet works simply by a screen shot of the page or a copied link. Other countries can see things as well and people can weigh in on works through social media unlike they can in printed works. This phenomenon, for me adds even more attention and praise to the works. If people like them they will share them more and more no matter the length. The quality will matter more online where you can read things on the go rather than hard copy. A man who was interviewed in the video stated that " If something does not succeed on Facebook, it does not succeed at all." This is a bold statement that I believe as a social media user is true. The internet/ social media world is so important for modern journalism because you can get your ideas out there for free and people can share them. The concern that lies between social media and journalism in the video is that the consumer (readers) have the responsibility to themselves to know who/ what to trust. Not everything you read will be true and this especially is a valid point when it comes to the internet. All opinions vary and people can be biased and appear professional when they are not. The social media consumers must be educated enough to decipher the trustworthy works from the counterfeit works.