The Future of News
Social networks like Facebook and Twitter operate in ways that allow users to keep track of what everyone else on their network posts and shares, regardless of the strength of their ties. Since it is easier to maintain many weak ties rather than many strong ties, and friending or following is largely based on positive relationships, these relationships can form a stable network and facilitate fast travel of news.
Bridges between separate components in networks are easily formed due to recommendation systems included within these networks, and the Strong Triadic Closure Property suggests a high likelihood for friends to link up. Networks such as these are ever-expanding and increasing in size and linkage.
In the present age, people have been moving away from printed news sources and gearing toward more easily accessible platforms in technology. Increasing numbers of people have smartphones due to the digital and mobile revolutions. As a result of this participation, growing numbers of people have become involved in and dependent on social networks as their primary source of information.
DB5, a research team, conducted a survey of 4700 social media users to reveal that Twitter users are more highly involved in consumption of news than those of other social networks. Social media eases the communication of news since not only is this new source of news fast, it is also free and quick to read. As a result, users have news available to them on the go. They also only have to invest a short amount of time to become more informed.
Social networks like Twitter and Facebook are popular and operate largely in real time. These aspects are important because they serve as a quick outlet for news to spread to the masses. If the six degrees of separation is considered, and users share the news that they have interests in, the news can theoretically travel and inform the masses in little to no time at all.
I believe the factors of simple sharing and lessened time investment is the future in proliferation of spreading news. People value time, convenience, and information. Social networks like Twitter then present themselves as the right tool to satisfy all their needs. Resulting from this fact may present future inclination by news reporters to have social media as a major platform in delivering their stories. The future of news reports may rest upon how social media develops and how the users continue to interact with one another through them.
http://www.adweek.com/socialtimes/report-twitter-is-a-real-time-news-platform/626216