News media and television journalism have been
instrumental in the shaping of American collective memory for much of the
twentieth century. Indeed, since
the United States '
colonial era, news media has influenced collective memory and discourse about
national development and trauma. In many ways, mainstream journalists have
maintained an authoritative voice as the storytellers of the American past.
Their documentary style narratives, detailed exposes, and their positions in
the present make them prime sources for public memory. Specifically, news media
journalists have shaped collective memory on nearly every major national event
– from the deaths of social and political figures to the progression of
political hopefuls. Journalists provide elaborate descriptions of commemorative
events in U.S.
history and contemporary popular cultural sensations. Many Americans learn the
significance of historical events and political issues through news media, as
they are presented on popular news stations. However,
journalistic influence is growing less important, while social networking sites
such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter, provide a constant source of
alternative news sources for users.
As social networking becomes more popular among older and
younger generations, sites such as Facebook and YouTube, gradually undermine
the traditionally authoritative voices of news media. For example, American
citizens contest media coverage of various social and political events as they
see fit, inserting their voices into the narratives about America 's past
and present and shaping their own collective memories. An example of this is the public
explosion of the Trayvon Martin shooting in Sanford , Florida .
News media coverage of the incident was minimal until social media users made
the story recognizable through their constant discussion of the case.
Approximately one month after the fatal shooting ofTrayvon Martin, its online coverage by
everyday Americans garnered national attention from mainstream media journalists,
in turn exemplifying media activism. In some ways, the spread of
this tragic event through alternative news sources parallels that of the Emmitt Till – whose murder became a national story
after it circulated African American and Communists newspapers. Social media
was also influential in the widespread attention given to the revolutionary outbreaks in the Middle East and North
Africa during 2011. However,
there is some debate about the extent to which social media facilitated this
kind of change. Another example
of this shift is in the on-going Kony 2012 campaign,
which surfaced first on YouTube and later garnered a great amount of attention
from mainstream news media journalists. These journalists now monitor social
media sites to inform their reports on the movement. Lastly, in the past couple
of presidential elections, the use of social media sites such as Facebook and
Twitter were used to predict election results. U.S. President Barack Obamawas more liked on Facebook than
his opponent Mitt Romney and it was found by a study done by Oxford Institute
Internet Experiment that more people liked to tweet about comments of President
Obama rather than Romney.
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