Morne Patterson - How Twitter is Dethroning Mainstream Media as the Primary Source of Truth

 


News doesn't wait for prime-time TV or tomorrow's paper anymore. The largest longitudinal study reveals that Twitter breaks 59% of major news stories before traditional media catches up. This has altered the map of information consumption completely.

Twitter's evolution goes beyond social networking since Elon Musk bought it and rebranded it to X. People now use Twitter's search as their go-to live news engine. They verify breaking stories and follow events as they happen. This radical alteration challenges mainstream media's role as the trusted source of truth.

My breakdown shows how Twitter reshapes the news scene. We'll get into its verification methods and what this means for future information sharing. The examples where Twitter beats traditional media to the punch are the foundations of the analysis. This matters equally to news readers and creators.

How Twitter Changed News Consumption

The way news travels through social media platforms has changed dramatically. Statistics show that one-third of adults get their news from Twitter regularly. X users have become avid news seekers, with 59% of them actively looking for news on the platform.

The rise of real-time news updates

Twitter has grown beyond its social network roots to become a hub for breaking news and political conversations. Users on Twitter tend to be well-educated and show strong interest in news and politics. A notable statistic reveals that journalists and news organisations make up almost 25% of Twitter's verified users.

Breaking news on Twitter vs traditional media

Twitter and traditional media show remarkable contrasts in news delivery. News spreads faster on Twitter but also loses momentum more quickly than on traditional channels like radio. This quick-moving news environment has changed how journalists work, as 55% of users now get their news straight from the platform.

Public engagement with news stories

People engage with news on Twitter in unique ways:

·        Resharing behaviour: Messages go viral through retweets that create newsworthy moments

·        Direct engagement: People show immediate reactions through likes and comments

·        Community discussion: Users build relationships and offer social support

Twitter stands out because its users often see different news viewpoints without searching for them. This natural exposure to varied opinions makes Twitter valuable for public discussions, despite the recent changes under Elon Musk's leadership.

The Power of Citizen Journalism

Twitter has shown us that regular people can shape news stories like never before. About 69% of Twitter users now take part in sharing and creating news.

How everyday people become news sources

The sort of thing I love is how Twitter turned regular people into news sources. Research shows users add to professional media coverage through direct involvement. Many say they do this as part of their mission to be citizen journalists. Twitter-savvy users now trust their own social filters to process news among traditional media sources.

How it affects traditional reporting

The way citizen journalists and traditional media work together has changed by a lot. Newsrooms had to adapt, and now 83% of young journalists use Twitter as their main or backup professional tool. When people keep talking about important stories, traditional media often feels they need to keep up their coverage to keep public trust.

Success stories and viral moments

Some of the biggest moments in recent history show Twitter's strength as a citizen journalism platform:

·        The detailed Trump assassination attempt demonstrations revolutionised immediate coverage

·        Black Lives Matter movement reached about 47.8 million tweet mentions by June 2020

·        The Boston Marathon ordeal saw citizen journalists giving critical first-hand accounts

Twitter stands out because 94% of users care about current events. They've created a space where people don't just read news – they help create it. The platform's progress has made citizen journalism a tool that enables voices that might stay silent to reach audiences worldwide.

Twitter's News Verification Methods

Twitter has grown into a unique news platform that uses sophisticated verification methods to stand out from other social platforms. The platform's fact-checking approach has changed by a lot, especially when you have the introduction of Community Notes.

Community Notes system explained

Community Notes, previously called Birdwatch, has become Twitter's main fact-checking tool. The system works like Wikipedia and relies on community members instead of traditional fact-checkers. This system stands out because of its sophisticated ranking algorithm that gives higher scores to notes rated well by users who usually disagree with each other. Research shows that tweets with Community Notes reach fewer people.

Role of fact-checkers and journalists

Dedicated contributors spend up to seven hours each day to research posts and add citations. The top-rated notes on the platform show that 70% have links to prominent sources. The system works through:

·        Original note proposals from contributors

·        Community review and rating process

·        Algorithmic assessment of note helpfulness

·        Automatic application to matching content

Public trust in Twitter vs mainstream media

The trust levels show an interesting contrast. Roughly only a third of people trust traditional media, but Twitter news consumers feel more confident. About two-thirds of Twitter news users trust the information they find on the platform. These numbers stand out because they're much higher than the trust level for social media overall.

The sort of thing I love is how Community Notes handles different challenges. The system now fact-checks images too, showing Twitter's steadfast dedication to complete fact-checking. But during major events, like the 2023 Israel-Hamas conflict, the system took longer to publish notes.

The Future of News Distribution

The future of news distribution reveals fascinating changes in information consumption and sharing patterns. Despite predictions about Twitter's decline after Elon Musk's takeover, research indicates steady usage rates. Morne than 10% of the online population still uses the platform weekly for news.

Changing patterns in news consumption

Traditional news referrals from Twitter and Facebook have substantially decreased over the last several years. Young audiences now flock to new platforms. TikTok's news consumption numbers have nearly doubled since 2020.

Emerging trends in social news sharing

Social media has reshaped the news distribution scene. About half of all Americans now rely on social media for their news. Video content dominates the landscape - two-thirds of users watch short news videos weekly.

News distribution has become more complex. Six networks now reach at least 10% of users, up from just two a decade ago. This wider spread creates new challenges and opportunities as platforms continue to adapt to changing user priorities.

Conclusion

Twitter has evolved from a social platform into a main news source, demonstrating social media's profound impact on information consumption. Regular people have become influential voices in news sharing, and traditional media outlets struggle to adapt quickly.

Community Notes revolutionised the platform. Users can now distinguish between fact and fiction better than before. The platform maintains its influence on news distribution and our understanding of global events, despite concerns about its rebranding to X.

This trend will likely intensify. Traditional media outlets must collaborate with social platforms instead of viewing them as competitors. Citizen journalism combined with live updates has established new standards for news delivery that empowers users.

News delivery now focuses on more than just speed. Trust built through community verification matters most, and everyone gets to participate in the conversation. Twitter doesn't just affect how we consume news - it revolutionises the creation process itself.

FAQs

Q1. How has Twitter transformed the news landscape? Twitter has become a real-time news engine, with more than half of major news stories appearing on the platform before traditional media outlets. It has changed how we consume information, with about a third of adults regularly getting their news from Twitter.

Q2. What role does citizen journalism play on Twitter? Citizen journalism on Twitter has empowered ordinary people to shape news narratives. About two-thirds of Twitter users actively participate in news sharing and creation, often contributing to professional media coverage and sparking global movements.

Q3. How does Twitter verify news content? Twitter uses a system called Community Notes, which relies on engaged community members to fact-check content. This system uses a sophisticated ranking algorithm that rewards notes rated highly by people who typically disagree, helping to combat misinformation.

Q4. How does public trust in Twitter compare to traditional media? While only roughly one-third of Americans express trust in traditional media, about two-thirds of Twitter news users say they have at least some trust in the information they find on the platform. This is significantly higher than the trust level for social media in general.

Q5. What are the emerging trends in social news sharing? There's a growing trend towards video content, with two-thirds of users accessing short news videos weekly. The landscape is becoming more fragmented, with six social networks now reaching at least 10% of users for news consumption, compared to just two a decade ago.


Location: Cape Town, South Africa

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