Facebook Live is a pretty recent feature that allows any Facebook user to stream a live video on the site. Since the start Facebook Live has had a lot of negative back lash due to ethical reasons such as numerous users using this feature as an outlet to share live videos of crimes they have committed. It has also received some good feedback as well because it provides an very simple solution for broad casting live videos, which was a difficult task previously. One major thing that is new Facebook feature is stirring up is journalism and I discovered an article online about Facebook Live that gives us a better understanding of just exactly how it is. The article lists five considerations for understanding how live-streaming services are challenging journalism today:
1. 'Liveness' and Bearing Witness:
In the article it explains that 'liveness' is a feature that media/news outlets can now provide due to live-streaming services and that this 'liveness' allows for a great sense of authenticity. Now everyone can cut out news broadcasts as the middle man and bear witness to actual live events that are steaming.
2. Visually Driven Content:
It is stated in the article that news that is visually oriented can have major benefits such as increasing audience attention, easier recollection, increased engagement, etc.
3. Citizen Reporting:
Facebook live and audience-led forms of journalism are now allowing people to by-pass news organizations all together to receive news content in some instances.
4. Live Video Driving News:
Its is stated in the article, "Facebook Live videos can create a cycle in which social media videos lead to mainstream media coverage of an event or issue, generating heightened public awareness -- which means more people are likely to post new live videos on that topic."
5. Ethics:
Ethics is a pitfall regarding Facebook Live because even though normal, every-day people now have ability to report the news straight from their smartphone, they do not have to abide by the same code of ethics that journalists have to.
- Question to Ponder: Can you think of any connections between the Facebook Live feature and journalism; possibly how live streaming videos could change/have changed political journalism in particular?
*News Article: https://theconversation.com/what-facebook-live-means-for-journalism-72233
I think that for the most part Facebook live is great and innovative especially when concerning citizen journalism. The fact that anyone can record anything and share it live and instantly with their audience is amazing yet conflicting. I do see the many ethical issues that is commonly argued about. But I think that all in all Facebook live is really helpful and allows individuals to form their own opinion without reporting from a news source.
ReplyDeleteYou do not always have a Televison in front of you, but you do always have your phone in your hand. Facebook live is the perfect citizen news media outlet that allows you to experience things in real time at extremely easy access. While I do agree that that there is an ethics issue here, isn't there really an ethics issue for a majority of the new technology features we have? Facebook can do a better job of monitoring what is being streamed live on their end, while we get to enjoy being a part of something via live stream that we could possibly have never experienced before. When something is live-streamed on Facebook, it is able to reach a huge audience and raise important public awareness. Even if it does not have to do with politics, or something that is news-worthy... it can also be positive for businesses and for many other personal features as well.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an interesting post but yet so true! So many people are going to facebook to get their news. I took a class where we spoke how facebook and twitter are used more frequently for news purposes than the new's itself. Crazy how much social media is shaping our country.. Great post!
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