Journalism Serves as a Test Ground for Education when it Comes to Uses of Social Media

I’m in total agreement with George Siemens that journalism serves as a test ground for education. For example, when studying training and development bloggers, I used a lot of the journalism theory on blogging.

Journalism serves as a test ground for education. What has happened in journalism will also happen in education: breakdown of a single controlled narrative, increased role of amateurs, challenges to the existing business model, etc. (btw – I’ve referenced the link between journalism and news over the last 7 or 8 years. I decided to dig out where I first encountered this idea. It was in an interview I did with Stephen Downes in 2002).

Social media is drawing attention from all fields: corporate, education, government, and news/journalism. How is journalism (as a field) responding? This Mashable compilation illustrates practical use of social media: finding leads, giving the voiceless a voice, vetting stories, communities, etc. The ideas expressed work as well if you change “journalism” to “education”.

Reference:

• Journalists and social media | Elearningspace | George Siemens | 20 April 2010

Related posts:

1. Credibility and Authority of Social Media on the Decline?
2. Journalists Use Blogs for Research but Don’t Trust the Facts