How do I know what I know?
Well....that seems like a philosophical question. It sounds like we are going to have an epistemological discussion. And I did study a little bit of philosophy. But simply, I gather my information from books and news sources. I'm a nerd, so I love to read books like on philosophy and international affairs. I get my news from CNN, ABC News, BBC, and Al-Jazeera. I may find a blog or two, but I try to think about the credibility of the source and see if there are any backlinks to any scholarly sources. From what I read, I use that to develop my own beliefs. However, I'm not an absolutist and I feel that my beliefs can change based on new evidence that is presented to me. I don't want to go too detailed into my thought process about gathering knowledge, especially since I know this entry is not supposed to be about epistemology. Basically, I gather the information and try to figure out if it makes any logical sense whether it aligns or conflicts with my beliefs.
What did I learn today from social media?
The main platform I use is Facebook and I don't like to think that I gather my news off of my Facebook feed. But I am subscribed to some publications on Facebook, like Al-Jazeera, the Bleacher Report, ESPN, the Chicago Tribune, etc. I admit that I am also subscribed to more liberal publications, like the Huffington Post. However, I know they put a liberal spin on the news, so I try to stay wary of what I read there. So on a superficial level, today, I learned the parade route and the rally times for the rally for the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup for Friday. Do I believe it to be true? Sure. I actually got the route from a Chicago restaurant's feed, which was linked to the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Blackhawks also posted the events for the day. It's just a small event that does not need any hype or over-sensationalism, so I believe it to be true. Now things can change at the last minute, but the location is usually where Chicago sports teams have their rallies when they win titles (which is rare, I know), I have reason to believe that this article of news to be true.
Just now, I got a feed from Al-Jazeera stating that a U.S. general is in hot water for a leak on a cyber attack on an Iranian nuclear plant. I saw the same thing on CNN and ABC News. Right now, I'll take it at face value and believe it's true. I, honestly, believe in Al-Jazeera's journalistic integrity, but I always keep my guard up, no matter the source.
Is social media credible for obtaining information?
It depends. If it comes from a source that is fact checked over and over, then it is possible to trust that feed coming in. However, if I say something about the civil war in Syria, and I'm not an expert on Syria nor have I been there, then obviously, my words should not be taken for as fact. Also, there is the possibility of photos being airbrushed and Photoshopped, so we truly must be careful about what we pick up on our social media feeds.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
My use of social media
Basically, the only new media I use is Facebook. I've always said that I don't think my life is cool enough for Twitter and I need more than 140 characters to express myself. And I do have a LinkedIn profile, but I barely use it since I don't feel confident in my skills. However, I would like to be a social media consultant, so I am learning everything I can about all the social networks.
With the advent of social media, I'm more apt to take things at face value. When I see something an event happening on my Facebook feed, I'm more likely to take it as truth. However, at the same instance, I tend to be skeptical as well, because things I see on social media is making me think about things more in depth. I am definitely not a conspiracy theorist, but I feel that we should examine things more carefully because of our 24/7 news cycle and social media. The platform has leveled the playing field giving everyone equal journalistic integrity at the beginning. So it is definitely very important to make sure we truly think about what we read before we form our own opinions.
While that is the negative of new media, the positive is that you can get the news as it unfolds on the ground. The great thing about social media is that you have real-time access to the news, as where in the past it would take at least a couple of hours to get the breaking news. For example, social media was very helpful during the Arab uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. If it wasn't for social media, then the Arab spring may have never came about, since a Tunisian blogger helped to become the catalyst. Of course, you have to truly vet through the information coming out. But just like anything, social media has its pluses and minuses.
With the advent of social media, I'm more apt to take things at face value. When I see something an event happening on my Facebook feed, I'm more likely to take it as truth. However, at the same instance, I tend to be skeptical as well, because things I see on social media is making me think about things more in depth. I am definitely not a conspiracy theorist, but I feel that we should examine things more carefully because of our 24/7 news cycle and social media. The platform has leveled the playing field giving everyone equal journalistic integrity at the beginning. So it is definitely very important to make sure we truly think about what we read before we form our own opinions.
While that is the negative of new media, the positive is that you can get the news as it unfolds on the ground. The great thing about social media is that you have real-time access to the news, as where in the past it would take at least a couple of hours to get the breaking news. For example, social media was very helpful during the Arab uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia. If it wasn't for social media, then the Arab spring may have never came about, since a Tunisian blogger helped to become the catalyst. Of course, you have to truly vet through the information coming out. But just like anything, social media has its pluses and minuses.
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