Throughout this series, I have mainly focused on the positive effect social media has had on journalism. However, experts conclude there are potential drawbacks to social media use in general. Institutions like the National Center for Biotechnology Information released a study in 2014 stating that prolonged social media use can lead to depression.

For journalists, social media can also lead to unwarranted criticism and other forms of bullying through direct messages and public comments on social media apps. The reality is that social media has not been entirely beneficial to users despite its claims towards increased connectedness.

An infamous part of Facebook’s history is the lack of content filtering that made fictitious news stories able to spread across the platform. What we now refer to as “fake news” is an example of the downfall of social media within journalism. In 2017, 45% of American adults used Facebook as a news source, according to Pew Research Center. While much of the population is relying on social media platforms for news, people are also becoming more critical of the news they see on social media in light of false stories. Journalists have adapted to the public’s awareness of journalistic accuracy in storytelling and have showed greater transparency in their reporting processes. While transparency is important, fake news has contributed to the public’s distrust of media in general and has led many reporters to defend their reporting when they otherwise would not have needed to. 

Other ways social media has been changing journalists’ reporting practices is in how they interact with their audience on social media. In 2018, The Atlantic fired journalist Kevin Willamson for his past tweets about abortion. This incident and many other similar situations has led social media users and journalists alike to pause before sharing on social media platforms. Newsrooms like The New York Times have issued social media guidelines for journalists. The Times’ guidelines emphasized the importance of its reporters avoiding expressing partisan viewpoints on issues the publication covers.

With phenomenons like fake news, social media has forever changed the face of journalism. Reporters have adapted, however, to make journalism accessible and accurate to the public.