Journalists, Twitter's most ardent supporters, are leaving in droves. According to a recent Muck Ruck poll, 78% of journalists say Twitter is their most valuable social media tool, and 90% of journalists are on it. Despite this, 50% of respondents claimed they considered quitting the site.
Journalists worldwide are torn between using Twitter, taking a chance on its potential consequences, and forgoing its benefits. The recent Global State of Journalism survey, which received 2,226 responses from media professionals in North America, Europe, Asia, and Africa, is a focal point for this discussion. In it, participants expressed their opinions on whether or not this well-liked platform should be maintained.
Many other respondents to the study agreed with this viewpoint. The subject of online harassment has previously been brought up, but this most recent study demonstrates how harmful it can be for people on the receiving end. Several other users have reported having similar experiences while using Twitter, so it's not only journalists.
With over 4 billion active users on some of the world's most popular social media platforms, Twitter remains in 16th place with 436 million monthly users. To complicate matters further, a recent survey found that half of all journalists are considering leaving the platform due to rampant online abuse from anonymous trolls and new plans for fee-based verification status. As these issues mount up, it seems only time will tell if Twitter can remain competitive against tech giants like Facebook or Youtube.
Twitter's recent decision to stop users from sharing Substack links sent shockwaves through news publishers' marketing strategies; they had come to rely upon the platform for promoting subscriptions. However, Scroll's 2021 merger into the company reached a renewed commitment to helping create a robust journalism ecosystem. Jo Kelly, the former Mirror journalist and now EME head at Twitter, was also optimistic about this promise - as made evident in Press Gazette's Platform Profile that year.
Journalism faces many pressing issues, with disinformation topping the list at 50%. Funding and trust in media are significant concerns for many respondents. The results also show that lack of time to cover stories, politicization, independence and news literacy are all troubling topics worth attention.
The future of journalism is uncertain, and for the industry to flourish, a massive shift in how media is accessed, produced, and consumed must occur. We need to ensure that the right incentives are in place to encourage ethical and accurate reporting of news stories. Moreover, news organizations must embrace a more transparent approach to their activities and take steps to reduce the spread of disinformation.
Twitter is an essential tool for journalists worldwide – but if these latest findings are anything to go by, then more needs to be done to address online abuse and harassment if users are going to remain engaged with the platform.
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by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World
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