To many of us Instagram is just an app we use to
take silly pictures that we post for likes. It’s a way to show people what we
are doing without having to use words.
But what if Instagram could be used a platform to
share the news?
In an article by Meena
Thiruvenqadam titled Instagram for newsrooms: A
community tool, a reporting tool, a source of Web content for Poynter.org she
highlights the different news outlets that use Instagram as a news platform.
For example
the Chicago Tribune uses Instagram as away to update their followers on what happens
behind the scenes with the staff and to remind their followers about breaking
news
‘Our approach to Instagram at the
Tribune is to make sure followers are included whenever possible” says Chicago
Tribune Social Media Editor Scott Kleinberg said via email.
Aside from The Chicago Tribune
using Instagram as a platform to share news, NBC News also makes call outs
about big up and coming events such as the super bowl or current breaking news.
They do this because it gives multiple people the chance to interact with the
news station and share their opinions on current events.
“A few days after you make a
callout people tend to forget about it,” Anthony Quintano, senior community
manager for NBC News, said by phone. “We remind them by featuring user photos.”
Aside from News outlets using
Instagram as news platform regular people can also use it as a way to share the
news also.
For example in my town someone
was recently shot, I found out through Instagram because my peers were posting
updated pictures of where the crime was committed. It does not necessarily take a professional journalist
or news outlet to use the app as a way to share news everyday people take part
in it also.
In
an article by Jeremy Lybarger for Mother Jones.com titled Can Photojournalism
Survive in the Instagram Era? He writes
about how regular civilians take part in everyday journalism because of
Instagram. One event in particular that he highlights is Hurricane Sandy. Most people were able to see the damage that Hurricane
Sandy caused because of Instagram and most of these images were taken by
regular people who wanted to share the news. When the national news could
deliver updated images people turned to their phones for that.
To many of us Instagram is just an app that we
download and use for fun. We do not consciously realize that it’s also a way we
are exposed to the news. Whether it’s from a news outlet or our peers we learn
about what is happening around the world by the images we post and like.