Long gone are the days when a consumers relied on “their” newspaper and “their” news station to provide them with all of the daily happenings he or she needed to know. In our era of instant gratification, we want information as fast as possible, with the source as a secondary issue.
A recent study by the Pew Research Center reveals what we already thought to be true: the leads in social media news differ greatly from those in the mainstream press. What is interesting, however, is the difference between social medias. Twitter appeals more to those looking for a technology update, while blogs, as well as the mainstream news, focus more on politics and government.
Today’s consumer is used to, and many times prefers, utilizing a variety of sources, Twitter, Facebook, CNN, etc. based on the interest of that particular person on the news on a particular subject. More often than not, a person will consult multiple news sources to ensure that it is indeed valid.
While the consumer may not feel affiliated with a certain news source, he or she is much more attached to the messenger. For example, if Katie Couric switched from CBS to a rival station, odds are the viewer would still see Couric as a valuable information source and rely on her, regardless of location.