Your news in 140 characters: exploring the role of social media in journalism

Abstract

"I saw on Facebook" is a term frequently heard in conversations these days. This social network application, and others like it, was originally developed to help a person connect with friends and like-minded people. They have since evolved into powerful tools for communication that are being harnessed by the news media to interact with audiences. This article explores the use of social media in a local media organisation, and endeavours to determine its value to journalism. ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR Copyright of Global Media Journal: African Edition is the property of Global Media Journal: African Edition and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)