A 24-hour cupcake ATM? Yes, please!

Posted on March 27, 2014 by Clara Bendayan

By CLARA BENDAYAN

Have you ever dreamed of being able to dispense a delicious cupcake from a machine, while strolling the streets of New York City? If so, your dream has come true.

Sprinkles, a Los Angeles-based bakery, recently installed a cupcake-dispensing ATM on New York’s Upper East Side and it’s everything you never knew you were missing in your life. Did I mention that it’s fully functional 24 hours of the day to satisfy your sweet tooth at any hour?

If you’re not in the mood for cupcakes, the machine also dispenses cookies. In true Los Angeles & New York City fashion, it also dishes out dog treats so your pampered pup doesn’t feel left out of the party.

The sweet machine apparently holds up to 760 pastries, which are restocked daily to ensure maximum freshness. There are 20 different flavors ranging from red velvet, Cuban coffee, banana dark chocolate, and cinnamon sugar.

Shelling out $4.50 for a delectable cupcake doesn’t seem so bad when you’re saving yourself time in line at a bakery. Plus, who can stop themselves from trying out an ATM machine that pops out mouth-watering treats?

As you’ve probably guessed, this hot ticket machine is receiving crowds of people lining up to get a taste. The company has done an excellent job in creating an innovative way to get people to try their product. How many people would turn down the opportunity to try out the a revolutionary cupcake dispensing ATM machine?

There’s a certain sense of excitement in watching your cupcake appear before you that speaks to the inner child in all of us. The best part is that the fact that you receive your cupcake from a machine doesn’t take away the personal touches you’d be getting in a bakery. A sort of mechanical curtain raises, and you see your cupcake perfectly perched atop a little tray, beautifully tucked inside a decorative box with the company’s logo on top.

Social media have been creating a huge buzz and are aiding in promoting the bakery’s latest invention, bringing in new customers every day.

News reporters have been crowding around the machine since its opening, eager to get shots of this novel way of purchasing bakery-made treats.

People and news companies have also been taking to Twitter to express their love of this machine.

A Twitter-based news account, NowThisNews, posted a stop-motion vine showing people how the machine works.

Other news accounts tweeting about this fascinating machine include HuffPostStyle, ABCNews, and Wall Street Journal.

What are you waiting for?

Hop into a cab and make your way over to 61st and Lexington Avenue to indulge in this highly innovative way to eat delectable, gourmet cupcakes!

People take advantage of Flight 370?

Posted on March 23, 2014 by Taylor Hoff

By TAYLOR HOFF

The missing Malaysia flight MH 370 has caused quite the news media rampage. This mysterious, mind boggling event of the missing flight is currently an all consuming topic. However, there are people out there taking advantage of this tragic event.

On Thursday, March 20, reports ran rampant over sites such as Facebook and Twitter, that the missing flight had in fact been found. News feeds were overwhelmed by links such as “Shocking Video Reveals Found Flight MH370.” All that had to be done in order to access these supposed videos were to share the link and sign up for something.

Many people fell for these tricks; liking and sharing as fast as they could. Fake CNN Twitter accounts were then created to further these false claims.

Cyber hackers are exploiting the intense interest in the missing planes. By having these fake videos in which people need to sign up to view, they are in fact granting the ability to hack the user’s system.

After spam e-mails became widely known to be unhealthy to the user’s server, hackers had to become creative. Most hackers today rely on social media and the most prevalent news stories or trends.

Another widespread scam surfacing on social media websites is relating to health and weight loss. With our generations’ large focus on health, it is no surprise that hackers look to target people using an ad that claims to be “the miracle weight loss pill.” These ads guarantee quick and easy weight loss at a low price. Once someone clicks on the link they are immediately send to a scam website that clones a reputable one.

In conclusion, it is important to watch what you share and like on Facebook and other social media websites. Only listen to reputable websites such as CNN.com for updates on the latest news stories. If something is serious, and happening, especially with such a large story such as the missing plane, it will have been reported in several other places besides Facebook in which you can check.

Realty TV star lands on Vogue cover

Posted on March 21, 2014 by Nicole Lopez-Alvar

By NICOLE LOPEZ-ALVAR

After months of speculation, the day is finally here—Kim Kardashian is on the cover of the reputable Vogue magazine.

Yes, it’s true. A notoriously famous reality star turned model and businesswoman is posing for the most famous fashion magazine of the 21^st century.

The Internet has been in frenzy from posts ranging from the overly ecstatic to the mournfully dreadful. This is due to the star’s not-so-common start in the entertainment business, and most likely, the fact that she is posing with her fiancé, Kanye West.

Due to the Internet, fans and “haters” are able to soak up Vogue’s April issue with the dynamic duo through multiple platforms. These range from Twitter announcements and posts about the spread, to an in-depth video of the making of the photo shoot.

An example of said media advertising started immediately with Kim’s Instagram post on Friday. She posted onto her Instagram account stating, “This is such a dream come true!!! Thank you @VogueMagazine for this cover! O M GGGGGG!!! I can’t even breath!” The post was linked to a photograph of the magazine cover, as well as the vogue.com article itself. No less than six hours later, the post has generated 547,495 “likes” and the numbers keep on rolling in.

These sources of excessive insight are the ingenious ways magazines like Vogue use social media to promote their stories instantaneously around the world. Therefore, for celebrities, such as Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, the hysteria on social media only makes the story surface more Web sites, more smart phones, and more bank accounts.

What makes this cover story relevant is the subtle hashtag underneath the caption of the photograph, which states “#worldsmosttalkedaboutcouple.” While this statement is a vast exaggeration, the hashtag serves two purposes — a clever nod to the fact that the couple’s Instagram followers combined ad up to 20 million, as well as a subtle advertisement for the social media sites that use such hashtags so people can follow the story and discuss it in an organized fashion.

Nowadays, through the use of social media, stars as hated as they are loved like Kim Kardashian, can cover more than one platform.

Overall, business models that incorporate social media are helping everyone involved generate more business and more income, while we sit here and continue to stalk the couple’s baby, North, on Kim’s Instagram page.

Prankvertising market strategy spreads

Posted on March 10, 2014 by Clara Bendayan

By CLARA BENDAYAN

Prankvertising is the name of the latest marketing fad sweeping the web.

Hidden cameras are strategically placed around the world, aiming to record people’s reactions to completely unexpected situations and spooky encounters.

A new company, Thinkmodo, has attempted to take over the market for young viewers that are most involved with viral videos.

Their most recent ad for the movie, “Devil’s Due,” garnered more than 35 million views on YouTube within the first seven days of being uploaded. The video spread like wildfire on social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter.

Another popular ad from this company was their successful marketing ploy for the horror film titled, “Carrie.” Cameras were hidden inside a coffee shop in New York City and an actress appeared to be using telekinetic powers to throw objects and people (other actors) against a wall in rage.

The customers, unaware of the setup, were seen fleeing and swearing, seeking cover from this deranged woman who appeared to possess magical powers. Visual effects were also used to further enhance the mayhem.

This bizarre and unique marketing tactic achieved wonders as it increased awareness and promoted the movie greatly.

Another interesting part of this is that the company includes the behind-the-scenes footage where production crew members are seen setting up the prank. This pulls the viewer in from the start and grabs their attention for the duration of the video to see the results.

This novel marketing tactic is clearly serving its intended purpose, which is to use creativity to attract viewers and promote products and ideas. This emerges at a perfect time, as social media has compromised the average person’s attention span.

Additionally, the influx of advertisements seen everywhere — on buses, pop-up ads online, YouTube ads, for example — are flustering many consumers. People are beginning to ignore advertisements since they are too rampant and ubiquitous, diverting people’s attention elsewhere.

Prankvertising is a refreshing way to market as people are drawn in without reservations or restrictions since it’s spontaneous. People are demanding alternatives to traditional branding, and it’s an excellent way to utilize the power of the World Wide Web.

Thinkmodo founders James Percelay and Michael Krivicka, for content to go viral, the idea within it has to be really new. It has to be engaging and easy to search for. Since it’s new, you will find it when you search for it as there’s no other video like it.

I think this is an excellent strategy and it comes at a time where it will be most well received. We share videos through various social media outlets on a daily basis across countries. People love to see how others react to humorous or frightful situations, and our curiosities are piqued when the circumstances are as unique and unprecedented as this new marketing strategy.

Does God live in Hollywood?

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Kelly Brody

By KELLY BRODY

The Oscars this past Sunday had it all: a pizza party, Meryl Streep and Pharell dancing, a record breaking selfie and, of course, many memorable acceptance speeches.

There was Jared Leto, whose heart-touching speech thanked his mom, acknowledged the tragedy in Venezuela and Ukraine, and was dedicated to the millions of people around the world with AIDs. Lupita Nyong’o made her speech all about following your dreams, saying, “When I look down at this golden statue, may it remind me and every little child that no matter where you’re from, your dreams are valid.” And of course, most every actor who accepted an award thanked their directors, fellow co-stars, and producers.

But this year, a common figure to thank in Oscar acceptance speeches was missing–God. It seems as though, in years past, the first person an award winner would thank would be God or Jesus. The only individual to mention God in their speech this year was the quintessential southern christian boy, Matthew McConaughey.

He did not just briefly mention God’s name either. McConaughey stated, “I want to thank God, because that’s who I look up to. He’s graced my life with opportunities that I know are not of my end or any other human end. He has shown me that it is a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates. When you’ve got God, you’ve got a friend.”

Many people responded negatively to McConaughey’s religious devotion in his speech. Tweets like, “Shhh McConaughey stop talking about god you’re ruining it” (@astral_cars) and “When did Matthew McConaughey turn into Joel Osteen?” (@LaineyGossip) swirled about the “Twittersphere” during and after his speech. Even the audience in attendance did not respond too warmly to the God part of McConaughey’s speech, as there was timid applause in comparison to when McConaughey mentioned his dad in heaven and even quoted Dazed and Confused, McConaughey’s first major role, with “Alright, Alright Alright.”

Hollywood has always been seen as a more liberal land, with more libertarian views rather than the conservative. Strong religious views have been mocked and practicing religion is often seen as an ultra conservative activity in Hollywood, versus atheism or not practicing or declaring a religion at all. Hollywood is becoming very secular.

McConaughey’s breakaway from secularization and the negative response he received because of it is proof of the lessening presence of faith in our modern society. We treat those who are religious as the minority now, even “jesus freaks.” It’s just not “cool” or “hip” to be religious.

Maybe McConaughey, with his southern drawl, drug past, beautiful wife and shiny new award will change Hollywood’s perception of religion and mentioning God in a speech will draw actual applause rather than backlash.

Instafame and social relationships

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Clara Bendayan

By CLARA BENDAYAN

“Wait, wait, wait! Let me take a picture of the sushi before you eat it. My followers are going to love how artsy it looks.”

Sounds familiar, right? Welcome to the age of Microfame and Instafame.

Not sure what that is? It’s simple, really. Social media and internet fame is sweeping the world.

With the influx of social media applications at our fingertips, regular people are becoming overnight celebrities by simply uploading five-second videos to Vine containing their daily shenanigans.

Being a celebrity used to involve the overwhelming process of going through auditions, facing rejection, living on low salary jobs just to pay the rent while you struck gold in Hollywood. Now, however, television and movies aren’t the only platforms that exist, and becoming famous isn’t as difficult as it used to be at least when it comes to social media notoriety.

With this platform, it’s easier to form some sort of connection with social media celebrities as opposed to famous Hollywood actors who rarely are able to reply back. Applications such as Vine, Instagram and Kik give users the option to answer their fans on a personal level.

“It’s a new kind of celebrity landscape because they can also reply back to you and it creates a more intimate connection,” said Jo Piazza, executive news director of In Touch and Life & Style magazines.

A documentary titled “Instafame” is going around Vimeo and it follows the life of Shawn Megira, a 15-year-old from Long Island, N.Y., who has more than 81,000 followers on Instagram.

His mom explains that she’s seen masses of fangirls crowd around him whenever they go out in public, only because they recognize him from his Instagram pictures.

I’ve seen countless Facebook friends post pictures with Instagram or Vine celebrities as well, and it begs the question of how social media fame affects teens and how it will affect them in the long run.

“It’s a very strong high. They’re getting a lot of attention but it’s not fulfilling what they deeply need and want in terms of this kind of human connection,” said Niobe Way, professor of psychology at New York University.

This social media is also creating a sense of validation for many people. Receiving 100 likes on an Instagram picture makes people feel good about themselves and gives them self worth. They feel validated by a group of peers or fans.

Another possible issue is that people seem to be living in the social media moment instead of basking in real life events. We all have at least one friend who cannot go a day without Instagramming a picture of their breakfast. Or another the friend that stops their car on the side of the road (or even worse, snaps a picture while driving) to take a picture of the sunset because they know that when they add a filter, their friends and followers are going to love it.

Is social media negatively affecting the way humans interact with each other? Are we wasting precious moments with loved ones while we snap the artsiest pictures for our followers? Is microfame the new sensation or is it just a dwindling fad?

Time will tell for the latter, as this topic is fairly new and the effects cannot yet be measured. In terms of the former, many people would argue that while social media bridges the gaps between people in different countries and facilitates communication, it is also playing a big role in making people antisocial.

Nasty e-mail causes controversy

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Taylor Hoff

By TAYLOR HOFF

The popular website LinkedIn is designed to help people in the professional world establish their profile and search for future employees they can trust and who obtain needed credentials. This is a website where reaching out to others is encouraged and either you get the job, or not, no harm in trying.

However, if you’re reaching out to Kelly Blazek, there is in fact harm in trying.

Last week, Kelly Blazek, a woman named Cleveland’s “Communicator of the Year” for her popular online job bank for marketing professionals, realized the importance of playing it safe on social media – the hard way.

Ever since e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, and social media became popular high schoolers, college kids, and young adults were warned of the consequences these websites could have on your future. Making sure no questionable activity surfaces to potential future employers. However, once you get the job, it doesn’t mean you can let down your guard and inappropriately use social media.

When 26-year-old Diana Mekota added Blazek, she received quite the backlash.

After e-mailing her a professional note stating only her experiences and positive job seeking attitude, Mekota was expecting an e-mail of subtle rejection, an e-mail of acceptance, or no e-mail at all. What she got was unexpected by all.

Only hours after Mekota sent her original e-mail, she received an e-mail detailing how her “invite to connect is inappropriate, beneficial only to you, and tacky.” She continued on, “wow, I cannot wait to let every 26-year-old job-seeker mine my top-tier marketing connections to help them land a job.”

Within days the e-mail went viral. Surfacing on websites such as Buzzfeed, known for their humor and poking fun at outrageous situations.

Also within days, other people began coming out of the works claiming to have received similar e-mails from Blazek. In one of the e-mails she signed off “Done with this conversation, and you.”

Blazek’s responses have created quite the frenzy in the media and she has since publicly apologized to all that she offended and deleted several forms of social media.

Although unfortunate to all involved, and potentially Blazek’s career, she has definitely made an example of herself. She proven it’s not only important to have a clean and reputable online appearance when seeking a job, but unquestionably important to maintain that appearance even when you’ve received your dream job and hold titles such as “Communicator of the Year.”

Can social media end marriages?

Posted on February 28, 2014 by Kyla Thorpe

By KYLA THORPE

Paula Patton announced her separation from her husband of eight years, Robin Thicke on Monday.

This came as a shock to many, as these two usually seem to be happy and in love.

Many sites are rumoring that the split is because of Thicke’s behavior with Miley Cyrus during the MTV Video Music Awards last August. Apparently, the whole “twerking” thing didn’t go over well with Patton.

Now, I’m not saying necessarily that he should or should not have participated with Cyrus in the raunchy performance. While both he and Cyrus received a lot of backlash from groups ranging from parents to feminists, the performance caught a lot of attention — which is good in Hollywood.

Being an actress herself, I don’t feel like merely the performance would have upset Patton to such a degree. She understands that, as an entertainer, you have to entertain. I feel like to way it blew up afterwards, might’ve driven her to this point.

At first, she had claimed to not have been bothered by the performance, even liking it. That was just the morning after. Days, even weeks later, people were tweeting, reading, and seeing commentary of the performance on the news.

However, Patton truly felt about the performance originally, she felt 10 times worse after it blew up on social media.

I’ve heard about marriages breaking up over social media before, but many times it’s because one person in the relationship is found to be talking to someone else online, leaving inappropriate comments on pictures, and so forth.

This is a new aspect on the matter, however, because it would appear that Patton was humiliated after the performance when it went rampantly viral, changing her mind about being okay with it and pulling the plug on the marriage.

Granted, marriages aren’t perfect and there are always other things happening behind the scenes that could’ve ended this one, but this whole situation is a great example of how social media can follow you everywhere and eventually become your downfall.

Tweets about the reporting life in Sochi

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Kerrie Heckel

By KERRIE HECKEL

Olympians’ performances aren’t the only things making news in Sochi.

A significant number of journalists have taken to Twitter to share with the problems they have run into while in Russia.

Perhaps it all started with the fifth Olympic ring not opening during opening ceremonies, but the Twitter handle @sochiproblems has collected a number of negative reports, mostly about hotel rooms, that can actually be quite comical.

Dallas Robinson, USA bobsledder, tweeted a picture of a door made out of cardboard which his teammate had torn apart and climbed through after being locked in the bathroom.

Steph Stricklen, news anchor for KGW in Portland, tweeted pictures of mirrored bathroom ceilings in Shayba Arena that reflected inside of the stalls to the neighboring areas. She captioned her photo, “because who doesn’t want to use a public restroom with completely mirrored ceilings? thanks shayba arena!” Sporting a grimacing look on her face in the reflection of the ceiling.

My personal favorite tweet was by author, screenwriter and sports columnist Dan Wetzle from inside his hotel room. The tweet is a picture of three light bulbs that reads, “To anyone in Sochi: I am now in possession of three light bulbs. Will trade for a door handle. This offer is real.” Maybe he could help out ESPN reporter Marc Connolly who tweeted a picture of a lamp with two missing light bulbs saying “Only one light bulb per lamp apparently”.

Still, while many reporters seem to be looking at problems in Sochi light-heartedly some issues they have run into is no laughing matter.

One of those issues has to do with the quality of water. Stacy St. Clair, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, reported that employees at her hotel told her not to put the water on her face as it had something very dangerous in it. The water she pictured on Twitter was a yellow-brown color that I cannot imagine she wanted to put on her face anyway

St. Clair later tweeted, “Also on the bright side: I just washed my face with Evian, like I’m a Kardashian or something.”

Other reporters tweeted pictures of open electrical units and light fixtures falling from the ceiling.

The brutally honest tweets continue to roll in but if you’re putting a group of journalists in hotels with less than stellar accommodations what else can you expect?

What I’ve gotten out of these tweets @sochiproblems, other than some good laughs, is that good journalists report stories when they see them, not just when they are assigned. Sure these reporters were there for the Olympics; but they saw something noteworthy of sharing and they did. Although it might be simple these reporter show that being a journalist isn’t your typical 9-5 job, it’s a lifestyle that continues even when you’re off the clock in your relaxing hotel room.

Media versus Venezuela

Posted on February 21, 2014 by Nicole Lopez-Alvar

The recent anti-government protests in Caracas, Venezuela, in direct protest of President Nicolas Maduro, have not only taken the country by storm, but social media as well.

Social media is uncovering the truths and lies behind what Venezuelans, and Americans, hear and see through mainstream broadcast news. Recently, former president Hugo Chavez forced a slant in media coverage, making Venezuelan broadcasters report biased and political propaganda-driven news.

This has caused the new generation of Venezuelans to take action—this time, not in a physical manner.

“I don’t trust our television and radio stations at all,” said Adriana Sanchez in a brief interview with USA Today in Caracas. “The government stations just run propaganda, while the few privately owned stations are afraid to broadcast the truth. What other options do we have?”

Many Venezuelans have resorted to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to stay informed and to understand the discrepancy between what they see on their television screens and what they read online. While both the government and the opposition are using social media to promote their own agendas, the truth is more readily available to citizens who need it most—including journalists.

According to the Venezuelan news website, panorama.com.ve, media outlets have been victimized by protesters and police harassing journalists on the streets.

CNN reported this week that its news crew had its cameras and transmission taken away at gunpoint.

This suppressive nature of news journalism has had a tremendous impact on what major news corporations and publications from around the world are reporting. While the chaos continues to unravel in Venezuela, news outlets such as CNN, The New York Times, BBC, and Al Jazeera English, have all had minimal coverage of Venezuela due to this lack of information.

Therefore, it has been up to Venezuelans to make a stand for their rights and their country without fighting fire with fire. From the Venezuelan-Americans of Miami to the new generation of Venezuelan descendants around the world, social media has provided more ways to uncover the truth than ever before.

Sochi problems continue to get attention

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Taylor Hoff

By TAYLOR HOFF

Controversy is arising over the conditions at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. After seven years of preparing the city for the Olympics- seven years filled with corruption, debt, worker-rights controversy, etc.- is it fair that the misfortunes in Sochi are becoming a punch line?

“#SochiProblems” is a newly consuming hash tag on social media. It’s mainly pursued by journalist’s living in hotels with unfinished lobbies, toxic water, shortages of pillows and sheets, and other less than positive conditions of the hotels in Sochi.

The tweets and articles written by journalists living under these circumstances have catapulted to full on media frenzy. Crazy pictures and witty tweets have led the unpreparedness of Sochi to become the punch line of the Games.

However, this humorous and overwhelming new trend may be harming legitimate news coverage. The twitter handle “Sochi Problems” currently as more than 100,000 more followers than that of the official twitter of the Olympics.

Controversy has arisen due to complaints that this seems more like making fun of a poor classmate, than genuine, necessary reporting. After Russia took seven years to prepare for these games and sacrificed so much, is it fair to poke fun at their shortcomings?

The other side expresses their belief that Russia did in fact take seven years to prepare. Is it uncalled to poke fun after seven years of preparations, and hotel lobbies are still missing?

Either way, the main problem lays in the media attention. It is not right that the poor conditions in which the journalists are living are taking precedent in the news over actual newsworthy stories about the Games. The journalists’ need to refocus- they didn’t go to Sochi for a five star vacation, but to keep the world informed on the Games.

Airline’s video: Offensive? Entertaining?

Posted on February 13, 2014 by Sofia Ortega

By SOFIA ORTEGA

Every time a flight is about to take off, the airline rolls a safety video for passengers. Yet, very often many get distracted and do not watch it.

For this reason, Air New Zealand partnered with the magazine Sports Illustrated to produce the video “Safety in Paradise.” The video was filmed in the Cook Islands, and shows models explaining all safety procedures in case of an emergency.

Air New Zealand debuted the video this Tuesday and will begin to play it in all of its flights commencing at the end of February.

However, what was thought to bring entertainment and work as an attention getter for passengers to prepare in case of an emergency; caught the attention of many in a negatively.

The video unraveled controversy because it showed women with few clothe on. But, isn’t it normal to show women in swimsuits if they are in the beach?

If people get offended because of the bikini, probably New Zealand is not the right destination for these people since they will surely find women in bikini.

Some have praised the company for the marketing strategies, but others have criticized it.

Sexist … malnourished models … not really showing the true beauty of the Cook Islands?

“It seems that suddenly they are saying that my sexuality is all that matters about me,” Deborah Russell, professor at Massey University, said to the Sydney Morning Herald.

A video showing several models at the beach does not make the company sexist and it does not mean that Air New Zealand is trying to say how women should be or look like. Contrarily, the company depicts the beauty of the Island and its people. And the video has surely attracted plenty of news media attention.

Some people may approve and others disapprove the video, but certainly the company accomplished its goal: to get people to pay attention to the safety video.

The video has gone viral in YouTube reaching more than six million views in less than one week.

In my opinion, Air New Zealand has done a great job with the safety video. It is a creative way of displaying important information that will surely get the attention of passengers.

Time crunches and fact checking

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Kerrie Heckel

By KERRIE HECKEL

When the two bombs at the Boston Marathon went off on April 15, 2013, I was sitting in a class at my former high school, nearly 3,000 miles away. In less than half an hour, I found out about the bombing. Not from a teacher or announcement, nor a radio or television, but through a tweet sent out by CNN.

While only 8 percent of Americans use Twitter to receive news today, according to Pew research, that number is growing.

Part of the appeal is that Twitter and other online resources alike make circulating news faster now than it has ever been.

The beauty of a tweet is that journalists that have Twitter accounts can write and share a breaking story in seconds. Some will even send out a tweet directly after an interview.

Then to lessen the time frame between a journalist receiving knowledge and forwarding it to us is the matter of smartphones.

Anyone who carries a smartphone has access to these tweets in the literal palm of their hand. And it seems everyone today has a smartphone.

Business Insider estimated that about 22 percent of people in the world would own a smartphone by the end of 2013. Considering areas of the world where technology like this still isn’t available, it is reasonable to believe that if we looked only at Americans the percentage would be higher. Of course, if you’d like to see for yourself you could always glance around a college campus and try to count the number of students walking, smart phone in hand.

Simply enough, Twitter and others alike have made fast paced reporting something we’ve become accustomed to.

More and more immediacy from our news sources is something many of us expect. So, it’s no wonder why many reporters and news organizations make getting a story out quickly a top priority.

And while circulating information quickly may be important, one wonders what we lose when journalists spend less time with their stories.

According to Pew research, 75 percent of Americans don’t think journalists get their facts straight. Could this be an effect of rushed reporting?

The fact of the matter is when reporters are competing with one another to get the information out first; fact checking can take somewhat of a back seat.

This isn’t all speculation; in 2012, The New York Times asked in an Internet survey if reporters should fact check what politicians say. This question, I think brought to many peoples’ attention that fact that fact checking is no longer as important as it once was.

Many people took offense to the question and The Times received a number of sarcastic answers asking if they were joking.

What many reporters and readers may not consider is that there is a trade off between speed and fact checking. The faster a story breaks the less time was spent fact checking, where a story that may take longer to publish allows the journalist more time to fact check. This inverse relation means reporting a story quickly and thoroughly is a feat for any journalist.

However if many people are demanding both, just what exactly are journalists to do?

Credibility issues grow with gossip

Posted on February 7, 2014 by Clara Bendayan

By CLARA BENDAYAN

The evolution and progression of social media have paved the path for novel ways to share news.

News sources are no longer limited to articles on websites or television programs. Outlets such as Twitter, Facebook and Tumblr have become sources for people to check the goings on around the world.

While it’s very convenient to be able to scroll through a Twitter feed and receive news, it isn’t always the most reliable way to secure accurate details. Twitter is a conversational, flow of thoughts type of outlet. People generate countless tweets in minutes, each reporting further details as more information is discovered and facts can be disproved within seconds. Another issue is the source of the news. Different news outlets inevitably stand out as more verifiable than others based on past credibility as well as the type of news they’re associated with.

A tweet from a reporter at CNN or Huffington Post is likely to be a very accurate source when seeking error-free and immediate news. Although some major news outlets provided some false information in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing last April, this can be attributed to the mere fact that reporting at an instant amid such a chaotic event prioritizes fast news rather than deliberate research to verify all facts.

Contrastingly, news outlets known for celebrity gossip such as TMZ come into question when searching for reliable news. When actor Paul Walker tragically died suddenly in a car accident last November, many celebrity gossip outlets immediately sent out a slew of tweets announcing his death. Facts were stated then retracted, later restated and retracted once again. False information was released as the article was published amidst the investigation, while many facts were still unknown. Many people tweeted that they refused to believe the news until a more reputable source confirmed it. Sure enough, after news sources such as The Los Angeles Times and The Huffington Post confirmed it, people began to send their condolences via Twitter and Facebook. Many people also went on to criticize and point out the multitude of inconsistencies present in the TMZ story after reading the complete, factual account from other more credible news outlets.

The same situation occurred this past week with the recent unexpected death of Philip Seymour Hoffman. Drug-related deaths tend to be very sudden and unanticipated, and people don’t accept the facts until they see confirmation on reputable news sources and televised news programs. In this case, TMZ was among the first news outlets to break the tragic story. Many people refused to believe it as there were rumors of a death hoax surrounding Hoffman before his actual passing. A while after TMZ broke the story people finally began to accept the news when The Wall Street Journal tweeted confirmation.

A journalist’s credibility is of utmost importance as no publication or outlet wants to be associated with a reporter whose credibility comes into question. Aside from TMZ, there are countless websites that report mainly gossip or focus on entertainment news rather than hard news. With the Internet, the line between what is real and what is a hoax has become incredibly hazy. Many news websites don’t pride themselves on accuracy and focus instead on delivering scandalous news that will appeal to readers.

Magazines such as Ok! and Star sell out on stands because people want to indulge in some quick gossip. However, when it comes to seeking out serious news people want nothing to do with them.

So, while we enjoy indulging in our guilty pleasures and reading celebrity gossip, perhaps their topics of coverage have garnered them an unfortunate position of incredibility when it comes to reporting serious news. While social media sites have been vital in advancing the way in which reporters deliver immediate news, they have also been instrumental in exposing people to the fact that news may not always be verifiable and not all sources can or should be trusted blindly. Should TMZ strictly stick to reporting the whereabouts and affairs of Hollywood’s starlets and leave the serious work for CNN, The Wall Street Journal and the like? Many people seem to think it best.

Social media can provoke violence

Posted on November 22, 2013 by Adam Hendel

By ADAM HENDEL

In one of my most recent blog posts, I discussed the importance of people posting videos of themselves doing acts of kindness. I proposed that we learn from the things we are seeing in the news and on social media, which can be used for good, but from today’s news, only half my claim was supported.

Headlines in numerous news sources today a concerning a new game/ fad called, “Knock-out”.

The purpose of the game is to try to knock a random stranger unconscious with one surprise punch to prove manliness. However, this so called game is leaving victims seriously injured and worse. There have been reports of these spontaneous assaults turning deadly in Chicago, St. Louis, New York and New Jersey.

Some reporters have said that there is no reason these kids are provoked but, according to several of the kids interviewed, it is a reason to show off and there is a likely source as to why this has become so popular. The new trends on social media and video sharing on vine has developed a category called “smack cam” where posters hit unsuspecting people in order to put out a funny video.

Popular trending websites, most specifically WorldStarHipHop.com, feature videos that showcase extreme violence and most specifically street fights that result in one person being knocked out. These videos that a huge population of our youth watch on these websites have clearly made an impact in their own decision-making.

The difference is that the videos are usually between friends staging a slap in the face for a short clip on vine, or a street fight caught on camera phones, but never has it occurred that elderly men and women are unnecessarily assaulted for fun.

Our youth will always try to raise the bar, but the popularity of shock value is clearly transpiring into kid’s lives. NBC has interviewed those behind the smack cam trend and has commented on several videos in particular that are truly cruel. A 21-year-old student named Max Isidor, the inventor of the #SmackCam, told NBC reporters he had no idea of the implications that would result from his viral trend.

Frank Farley, a professor of educational psychology at Temple University in Philadelphia, claims that social media are responsible for the spread of this trend. He believes the craving for risk taking and thrill seeking can be even more exercised by pulling these publicity stunts and sharing them on social media for all to see.

What is more shocking than a punch to the face?

I feel I was overly optimistic for hoping that social media could improve society, but instead the acts people are choosing to be influenced by are negative acts of violence and cruel humor.