How People Get The News Now

Before the Internet, people usually get the news through print and broadcast sources like newspapers, television and radio. In 2015, online social media sites have changed the way many people received the news.

To be clear, the news media are still the source and providers of the information, but a growing number of people are getting the news via social network sites such as Facebook or Twitter. Online users also tend to share the news articles they read through social media.

People would still like to be informed on the events unfolding in their community and the world at large. The Internet simply provided them with several options on how to get it.

Baby Boomers, or the majority of them, still rely on the television to get their news. Millennials or those whose age range from 18 to 34, on the other hand, would rather get their news online rather than watch it on television or read it in the newspapers. The Generation X, the one in between the Baby Boomers and Millennials, are both watching television and using online social networks to get their news.

A recent media survey revealed that most Millennials still believed that keeping abreast with the latest news and current event is essential, while majority of them also read the news everyday. Their exposure to social media sites also presents them with various opinions of many people with regards to a certain event or news, and almost half of them are even willing to pay or subscribe to an online news service provider. Unlike the Baby Boomers and Generation X, they do not directly go to the news, instead, they let social media update them on the news and other events that they "follow" or subscribed to.

The kind of news that interests Millennials usually involves politics and reports of crimes in their area as well as social issues involving both their local community and outside. Information on pop culture events and fashion, as well as the latest gossips on celebrities, is distant second for these Millennial adults. Many are also interested in obtaining news that could be of help to them.

Although many Millennials show little enthusiasm for politics and government, virtually half of the post they received in social network sites are government related. Many of them are not even aware of the media outlets that directly provide the news that they read or share. Media observers believed that the Millennials, just like the other two generations, have trust issues with the various media outlets.

In the United States, some media outlets have gained the trust of most of the three generations. A few media companies, however, are seen as less than reliable by the three. The Millennial and half of the Generation X who use social network to get their news can always ignore the ones coming from the media outlet that they do not like. This can also mean that the truly despised media outlets will have problem getting people to read their news and may eventually shut down. Those news providers who are relied upon by online users can eventually dominate the social network as the primary source of information.

Experts point out that many people tend to read the news or post that they agree with and ignore the ones that do not. Politicians and government officials can use the social network to gauge their popularity among their constituents. They can also test the opinions of the social network users with regards to certain government policies or upcoming legislation. Politicians who can master how the social media works can effectively communicate to the young voters, who are majority of online users, everywhere.

Millennials, on the other hand, do tend to recommend the news that is of interest or concerned to them to others via sharing or tweeting. This usually means that they can expect conflicting opinions about the subject. Even if they already formed an opinion about the matter, at least 75 percent of them are willing to hear opinions of the other side.

Even if they are not actively seeking the news, Millennials are always presented with a staggering amount of news and information. Almost half of Facebook users are initially not interested in getting their news from the social network site; however, as they opened their Facebook page, they usually read the news from there. Majority of the Millennials are doing it almost everyday. The news feed has also cut the time spent by people in checking for the news. At a mere glance, a Millennial can determine if a story is worth looking in to or simply ignoring it.

The traditional media outfits have also made use of the social media platform available on the net such as YouTube, Instagram and even Reddit.

Nevertheless, online users are not passive receivers of information. They are careful in selecting the social media outlet where they get their news from and are always making sure that the information is trustworthy. They also actively participate in the spread of the news through likes, comments, shares and postings.

If by chance they saw the news on television or got it through another person, many of them will verify the story by going to the source of the news.

Despite spending a lot of time online, around half of the Millennials are constantly online even if the majority of them owns mobile devices.

Millennials are keen to hear the latest news because they think it is their duty as citizens to do so. Others are seeking for answers to help in their current problem, while a substantial number use the news for social interactions.

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking site in the planet yet many of the young people would like avoid it if they can. Unlike the other newer social apps, Facebook is viewed more of as a necessity and not a fun app to play with.

Most Millennials also do not see Facebook as a reliable site to check facts.