Global Media News

How Is Facebook Helping Journalists?

Facebook is working to have a better relationship with journalists. Facebook has not always been the best place for journalism due to fake news constantly being shared.  In an effort to better the relationship between the two, Facebook announced that they will be releasing a course teaching journalists how to use Facebook to their benefit. 

Facebook is teaming up with Poynter to release these courses. According to Facebook The Facebook Journalists Certificate will consist of three courses that will help journalists better utilize Facebook. Facebook is stating that the content that is in these courses will constantly be updated.

"We’re committed to providing high quality and timely education and training opportunities for journalists. With that in mind, these courses in the curriculum will be regularly updated to reflect new products, features, case studies and learning."

Kelly McBride, the vice president of Poynter said 

“You can’t do journalism these days without Facebook. It’s a privilege to team up on this definitive guide for journalists, the information contained in these courses is fundamental to reporting and distributing the news.”

Source: Facebook

 

According to The Verge Facebook and Poynter will release three fifteen minute course that will teach journalist the best ways to use Facebook. The courses will teach journalists how is incorporate Instagram, Facebook Live and 360 Videos into their research and articles. These courses will also teach journalists how to communicate and engage with their online following.

The International Business Times is reporting that once journalists have completed and passed the courses Facebook will give them a certificate of completion.  Upon completion of the courses, journalists will be encouraged to join the Facebook News Media and Publishing Group in order to give their feedback. Feedback will also lead to future courses and more chances to to connect with other people in the journalism industry.

According to Poynter these courses are a part of The Facebook Journalism Projects which hopes to build a stronger relationship between Facebook and the news and journalism industry.

The Facebook Journalist Certificate will make Facebook a better resource for journalists and for journalism.

FTC Vs. Influencers: What Is The FTC Doing About Sponsored Posts?

If you have any form of social media and follow celebrities or "influencers"chances are you have seen a sponsored post trying to get you to buy a product. According to Forbes, social media influencers can make anywhere between $25k-$300k depending on the platform and the number of followers they have.  

The Federal Trade Commission just announced that they will be cracking down on the rules for sponsored posts. For many years the FTC has been trying to get these celebrities and influencers to state that they are getting paid to post.  The FTC announced that they will be trying new tactics to combat this problem.

The Federal Trade Commission does not want social media influencers posting sponsored posts unless they clearly state that the post is sponsored. According to Business Insider, the FTC reached out to 90 social media stars by sending letters telling them that they need to warn their followers that a post is sponsored. This is the first time that the FTC directly contacted social media influencers about this problem.

 According to a press release from the FTC,  when influencers post a sponsored post they can not hide the fact that is is a sponsored post.

"The letters also noted that when multiple tags, hashtags, or links are used, readers may just skip over them, especially when they appear at the end of a long post – meaning that a disclosure placed in such a string is not likely to be conspicuous."

"In addition to providing background information on when and how marketers and influencers should disclose a material connection in an advertisement, the letters each addressed one point specific to Instagram posts — consumers viewing Instagram posts on mobile devices typically see only the first three lines of a longer post unless they click 'more,' which many may not do."

According to Chief Marketer, the director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection, Jessica Rich, said "Consumers have the right to know if reviewers are providing their own opinions or paid sales pitches."

When posting sponsored post on social media, The FTC wants influencers share with their followers that they are being paid to post.  Influencers can use #ad or #sponsored in their captions or on their pictures to inform their followers that they are viewing a sponsored post. 

Is Your Social Media Persona Helping or Hurting Your Cause?

We've seen social media activism increase in popularity. With the recent election, and people trusting Facebook and Twitter to be viable news sources, the less-than-active activists are taking a stand for what they believe in. Using hash tags and Facebook likes has become the introverts guide to getting involved. Is there anything wrong with that though? Shy people can believe in change too. 

So what is the problem with activism and social media? Well, some say that even though it is nice to be aware of a cause via Facebook, it doesn't necessarily make you an activist. Not to say that technology makes people lazy, but it could impact how far you take your support.

Meet Slacktivism; defined as "a term for giving token support for a cause, like wearing a pin or “liking” something on Facebook, without being willing to engage in more meaningful support, like donating time or money." According to stlpublicradio.org, a person isn't any more likely to go beyond "liking" a cause on Facebook. So, just because someone appears to be a social media activist, doesn't mean they fully engage in activism.

Here's an example of possible slacktivism:

Here is the problem with branding someone as a "Slacktivist:" putting the word out there is still an effective form of activism. Not everyone can donate to their favorite cause. Facebook sharing spreads the news, so those who can donate, will. This particular cause is meant to spread the word, rather than ask for donations. It's important to know that activists can help just as much, without donating a dime. After all, we can't donate money to get a bill passed. Calling your local representative does that, and you can't get people on board if they don't know.

The most important thing to know about sharing in the name of activism, is to make sure your source is credible. It is counterproductive to assume everything you see is correct. Those who are willing to spread propaganda are aware of how many people turn to Facebook and Twitter for their news. You may think you are helping your cause, but be sure to research before hitting share. It will stop you from perpetuating discounted material.

How is Crowdfire Earning Bands New Fans?

It is well known that in order for a band to have any success with selling tickets and merchandise they must have a strong social media presence.  However in 2017, it’s a lot harder to break through all the other content occurring on various sites.  This raises the following question: what does a band have to do in order to gain more followers and engagement on their social media?  This is where Crowdfire comes in.

Crowdfire is website and app that allows you to manage your followers and engagement on an in depth level.  Crowdfire shows you who recently followed you, unfollowed you, and even who your most engaged and least engaged followers are. Crowdfire also lets you search for artists similar to your genre and follow their followers in hopes that they will follow you back. Although Crowdfire was originally designed for Twitter, it works with Instagram as well now.    The American Genius says,”These insights can be used to gain a better understanding of who you should be connecting with, as well as, suggesting new people you might have a hard time finding on your own. While Twitter does suggest accounts you may want to follow, Crowdfire does this on a much larger basis, helping you expand your reach.”

Crowdfire has been especially useful for Danny Simm who began his social media career in 2014.  He used the app Crowdfire to gain traction for the artist Luke Potter.  Danny explains how he was able to grow such a large audience for Luke when Crowdfire was doing an article on Danny. Danny said,”In January 2014, Luke and I decided to do a little experiment on Twitter. We created a Twitter account of a fictional band and through that promoted a new song called ‘She Got Me’. I targeted people who liked music by bands like Blink 182 and Sum 41 because our music was in the same genre as theirs. I then used Crowdfire to connect with them on Twitter and introduce them to our music. This simple process worked like a charm. Within two weeks, it overtook Luke’s account in both engagement and growth. This, despite him being on Twitter for the past three years at the time.”  This is a perfect example of how most musicians use Crowdfire and the effect it can have on an artists online presence.   

I have even used the app Crowdfire for a band I was in.  I used Crowdfire to gain more followers on Instagram.  The app would notify when I got new followers or when someone commented on a post.  It was extremely useful to be able to follow other artists’ followers because this is how a band’s audience will grow and it was very beneficial towards my bands social media presence.

Unlike other apps where you pay for followers such as Multiliker where the followers you get do not engage with your content.  Crowdfire doesn't have any other competitors that will help artists gain new fans who engage in their material and are actually people who will go to their shows. 

This shows that if you are a musician who is consistent with social media posting and through the use of Crowdfire, it is possible to build a strong fan base across various social media platforms.  That is why people like Danny Simms use this app.  Crowdfire allows artists to gain real followers who will engage with your posts and are more likely to buy your merchandise and tickets to your shows.  Although this app is accessible to anyone famous or not, musicians, painter, writer, or just someone who wants more people to engage on their social media, Crowdfire has certainly made it easier for musicians to gain new followers and fans.

Can You Profit From an Instagram Fan Page?

 

 

We're all familiar with the slew of fan based Instagram accounts, many of which keep us updated on our favorite A-List celebrities, television series, major league sports players the list goes on. 

Have you ever wondered who's behind the Instagram handle bars? Occasionally, an Instagram fan page will include a bio, typically a teenage super fan with A LOT of time on their hands, but that's not always the case. 

Fan accounts are consuming our feeds lately, and I'm sure you know at least one person running two separate Instagram accounts. Maybe it's not superstars your passionate about, but something else.  Fitness, your dog, you name it. There's an Instagram for that.  

Why do people create fan pages?

Fan pages typically start off from boredom, or people who are just looking to connect with other users with a shared interest. And then of course there's always the case of extreme admiration for your dog, who you turn into an overnight celebrity. Take this French Bulldog named "Manny The Frenchie" for example. He has 1 million followers on Instagram. If that's not enough, he even has his own book. This is where the money comes in. Many fan accounts receive monetary compensation for posting and sponsorship's, it all depends on how may followers you have.  

Think you might give it a shot? The key to success with a fan page is your handle/username. You need something memorable, semi-professional and hopefully catchy. Don't expect many followers with a name like @__superkewlkid195.. you've got to get creative here. Think of it as your brand. Next, upload upload upload! When you begin to think you've posted to much, keep going! Nobody is going to follow back if they see an empty page. Also, the most successful fan pages post at least once per day. It's important to interact with your followers as well, likes  and comments will do, but please refrain from shout outs, they will cost you many unfollows!

Although there is money to be made through hosting a fan account, many users admit they're in it for the connections and friendships that follow along. It's more of a hobby than anything. In an interview with Refinery29, one of the users behind the fan account @teenholllywood.ud states, "It's just funny that I met one of my best friends on Instagram." The account,  based on Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez sparked conversation in a direct message on the social media app. Instagram Direct, which was introduced three years after Instagram's initial debut, enables users to privately message one another in a direct message, or whats known as a"DM."  She adds, "I think she commented on a post of mine and I just DMed [because] I wanted to thank her and one thing led to another and we've been friends for 3 years now."

Is Snapchat the Next Vital Tool for News Outlets?

It has been determined that platforms such as Twitter and Facebook have become increasingly important for news outlets to spread information with their customers. Snapchat is one of the last platforms to become important as well. In fact, news outlets such as The New York Times, Al Jazeera, CBS News and Mashable are active on snapchat. Why? The answer is simple, the manner in which most people consume news nowadays is through social media, specially Facebook, Twitter and Snapchat.  In an article in The New York Times written by Tayla Minsberg, the following is stated about the news outlet joining Snapchat; 

" Two years ago, The New York Times started telling stories on Snapchat, a social messaging and storytelling platform. The goal was to present our journalism in a highly visual way. Since we launched, we’ve taken you to rural Angola, brought you along with us on the red carpet at the Grammys, shown you what it’s like on Air Force One. "

Source: GIF of a New York Times Snapchat Story by Aminata Fall.

The visuals mixed with the stories are a great way of attracting the attention of the consumers even if it is just for a few seconds. The news are given in a brief yet to the point manner keeping the reader updated but not bored and most importantly, instead of having to wait until having access to a TV to watch breaking news, users can now get them right through snapchat.

 

In this video segment by CBS News, the question of whether Snapchat is the future of news or not is explored. In this video, it is highlighted that Snapchat is a main source of info for the youth thus making it important for news outlets.

According to Bloomberg Technology, the amount of daily users on Snapchat has surpassed the amount on Twitter; 150 million people snapping daily. Snapchat is dominated by the youth; according to Business Insider, 45% of Snapchat's adult users are between the ages of 18 and 24. An article in The Boston Globe written by Michael Andor Brodeur touched on that topic: 

"A 2016 Tech Insider report found that many teens primarily use Snapchat, along with Twitter, as a source for news. A recent survey from Variety revealed that 44 percent of users who view Snapchat Discover and/or Live Stories do so at least once a day; and 30 percent used Snapchat to get most of their information about the 2016 presidential campaign."

To conclude, wherever news outlets can reach a maximum of people is a platform that cannot be ignored and has to be considered. Snapchat has definitely joined the other social media platforms and tools that are vital for news outlets and journalists.

 

Can Generations X and Y Make a Living out of being Youtubers?

As society moves into the new digital age, an abundance of job opportunities have been created for those willing to test them. According to an article written in the L.A Times, there are plenty of job opportunities on social media;

"The number of social media-related jobs on Monster has surged 75% over the last year, O'Reilly said. About 155 positions are available a month, up from an average of 88 a month a year ago."

  Some young people from both generations X and Y have mastered how to make a living out of social media platforms and brands just as well as advertisers have mastered how to make a revenue out of these social media stars. In an article written in the New York times by Eileine Zimmerman entitled "Getting Youtube Stars to Sell your Product"  the following was stated about the relationship between said social media stars and advertisers;

“When you enlist an influencer to market your product, you get an audience that is very well disposed to that influencer’s opinions because they are fans,” said Paul Verna, a media analyst for the research firm eMarketer in New York."

Source: Wall Street Journal.  A picture of Youtube Star PewDiePie that is said to be one of Youtube's most successful and wealthiest stars.

Youtubers such as PewDiePie whose real name is Felix Arvid Kjellberg are able to turn a simple passion such as gaming into an activity that generates profit. Kjellberg started off by filming videos of himself playing video games while commenting or reacting to them. Soon enough he gained momentum and currently has million of subscribers. 

To earn profit from making youtube videos isn't a task that would be easy for all to do. Earning money off of youtube is an attractive idea for a lot of millenials; maybe too many, according to an article written in Business Insider named "What it takes to become a Youtube Star" written by Leanna Garfield, the following was stated about the amount of youtube accounts that have been created in the sake of generating content and earning profit;

"In 2016, more than 2,500 channels have over a million subscribers, and 850 new channels claimed the title this year alone.That number might sound like reason for optimism, but it actually suggests that less than .01% of YouTubers have hit that benchmark. YouTube wouldn’t disclose the current number of active channels, but spokesperson Michelle Slavich says it’s "in the millions."

Said statistics combined with the stress of newfound fame acquired by becoming a social media influencer (as shown in this article written in The Independent) might be enough to discourage some to pursue the path. The manner of earning money has been broken down  in an article named "Chasing Their Star, On Youtube" written by Leslie Kaufman:

"In 2012, YouTube announced a partners program that would allow content producers to share with YouTube the ad revenue from their videos. The company had allowed some ad sharing as early as 2007, but the simplicity of the new model set off a gold rush: All creators have to do is click a button agreeing to let Google sell advertising that will appear on their site in return for a share of the revenue. Today, the company says, there are a million “partners” trying to make money off the platform, ranging from venture-backed enterprises that fill warehouses in Los Angeles to amateur cooks working out of small kitchens in São Paulo, Brazil"

 

Source: Youtuber Gary Vaynerchuck discusses the relationship and future of marketing and youtubers.

With all the pros and cons being weighed, what's important for both generations X and Y to know, is that there is indeed a possibility of making money and eventually out of Youtube. Such thing is not open to all as with all careers, there are skills needed, motivation and creative ideas to set oneself apart with the million of other millennials out there attempting to reach stardom on Youtube.

 

 

 

How Important is Wikileaks to Journalism?

Since the beginnings of journalism, whistle blowing has been one of its core values.  Platforms such as Wikileaks provide an environment in which sensible information can be provided to journalists all around the world creating a safe space for whistle blowing to take place but with all things there are consequences. In an article written by Sarah Harrison a section editor of Wikileaks for the NY Times she states the following about the non profit organization: 

" WikiLeaks has transformed more than 10 million documents into a unique searchable archive, not only making our website the world’s largest online library for suppressed information, but also enabling greater contextualization through relationships across publications."

Harrison's quote seems to correlate with the truth; Wikileaks has been pivotal in cases such as the Iraq war logs which uncovered the deaths of 66,081 civilians and the United States authorities' failure to investigate reports of abuse and torture.  Unfortunately, not everyone seems to share Harrison's perspective ; in an article written by Zeynep Tufekci entitled "Wikileaks Isn't Whistleblowing", she shares her criticism of the platform: 

"Data dumps by WikiLeaks have outed rape victims and gay people in Saudi Arabia, private citizens’ emails and personal information in Turkey, and the voice mail messages of Democratic National Committee staff members. Dissent requires the right to privacy: to be let alone in our vulnerabilities and the ability to form our thoughts and share them when we choose. These hacks undermine that crucial right."

Sources are critical to journalists, its reliability is twice as critical therefore the question that some ask is: in an attempt to be completely transparent is Wikileaks causing more harm than good and what are the motivations behind the leaks?

In an article written for Ars Technica by Sean Gallagher he quotes  Jeremy Rue the dean of academics for the University of California at Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism:

"Often journalists are so eager to get information, they don't take the time to ask what the motivation is behind this source, I think those motivations are important to factor in. Whether or not it changes the choice to publish, I don't really want to take a specific stand on that. It's a very complex issue and it keeps coming up in newsrooms. But I do definitely feel strongly that you should absolutely weigh all the different factors, like what are the motivations of your source."

In the recent American election, Wikileaks played a pivotal role by publishing the hacked emails of the democratic party nominee Hilary Clinton. These emails ultimately raised doubts in many voters and made some change their minds about voting for Hilary Clinton as a president. Many feel that the leaking of these emails were a strategy used by the Russians with the help of Julian Assange but this claim has been denied by Assange many times. Some news platforms such as Newsweek aren't willing to trust Wikileaks and are quick to negate its importance but in contrast some consider it to be a game changer.

Ultimately, moderation, skepticism and balance should be applied when using Wikileaks as a source; its importance is relative depending on the journalist's sense of ethics and commitment to whistle blowing. Personally, I believe that any platforms allowing for whistleblowing to happen is important to not only  journalism but also to society itself; abuse of power and corruption should always get exposed.

Emojis to the rescue! How is the universal language helping Aphasia patients?

 

  Samung Italy, the Italian team from the Korean-based company, has come out with an app to aid Aphasia patients. The app, Wegomee, translates text into emojis for easy communication and even translates the emojis back into text for non-aphasia users. Wemogee is taking the universal language of emojis to a whole new level.

            The app works by taking the pre-set 140-plus phases and transcribing them into emoji format. The prime example on almost all news outlets is "Would you like to go to the beach with me?" A some-what common phase, especially with Summer approaching, and the image below shows the emoji-translated version which looks a little something like this

The image displays how the app takes written words and changes it into a format better understood by those suffering from Aphasia. Wemogee.  

Wemogee became available to Android devices last Friday, April 28th, but much-like with the redhead emojis, iOS is late to the game. But don't fret, an iOS version is rumored to be in the works. The Aphasia-friendly app follows the guidelines of treating someone with Aphasia, according to Doctor Elio Clemente Agostoni, Director of the department of Neurosciences at the Niguarda Hospital in Milan, "in the traditional treatment of language disorders, images and gestures play a key role because they go beyond the verbal barrier. In this regard, Samsung Wemogee is a truly new communication code. The inclusion of suggested answers, linked to certain questions, is a simply interaction model, which facilitates the use by the aphasic patient, limiting his choice and therefore the possibility of making errors." In other words, this app may be the answer for the 30% of people who have suffered a stroke and in return, developed a form of Aphasia.

            There are more than three million people worldwide living with Aphasia, just let that sink in, there are three million individuals walking this Earth while I am typing this and as you are reading this, who have a disorder than make communicating incredibly difficult. They experience issues while reading a sign, while verbally placing their order at a restaurant, while going though everyday activities that the rest of the population takes for granted. Coming from a person who is not affected by this brain disorder, I can still appreciate it's existence.

            The emojis on this special app are bigger than the default ones on Samsung devices, nevertheless these emojis claim to be similar to the ones founded on messaging apps; iMessage, Facebook Messenger, etc, making the translating easy since most people are familiar with the fastest growing language in the U.K.

Wemogee is available in two different versions, Aphasic and non-Aphasic, to meet the needs of all of their users. Wemogee.

The brain disorder affect so much more than a person's ability to understand written and spoken language, but also their ability to socialize in their everyday lives. Us, as human-being, thrive on interaction with other human-beings, we need so to stay sane, but patients of Aphasia are being striped of this completely normal interaction. And as a result, they can loss their friends and experience extreme frustration. Hopefully this app can help take away some of the pain one feels when they wake up after having a stroke or a brain hemorrhage and their life is no longer the same.

Global Media News Webcast #12: Thursday, May 4, 2017

Listen to Global Media News!

• Can Facebook Be Beaten?  Who Can Compete?
• Why Did Facebook Suspend Guo Wengui's Account?
• Why Are "Fan-Run" Instagram Accounts Attracting Attention?
• Should Sponsored Content Be Clearly Labelled?  The FTC Says,  Yes!
• Are Micro Influencers Effective Marketers?
• Social Media in Education:  Should Teachers Be on Social?
• Are You More Anxious After You Check Your Feed? Is Social Media Upsetting?
• SnapChat's New World Lenses:  An Augmented Reality?
• VR Rollercoasters at Six Flags . . . Is It a Scream? Or a Virtual Puke-Fest?

Global Media News is a weekly webcast covering new media news from around the world.  GMN is a production of  Media Studies students from the SUNY College @ Old Westbury.   We scour the web for news about media, journalism and technology.   

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