As paper media dies its slow death, Internet usage is growing. Hundreds of thousands of users visit social news websites like Digg or Reddit. Members of these sites post links to news stories or articles, and “digg” or ‘upvote’ the links to stories they enjoy. If an article receives enough votes, it moves from the story queue to the main page. Stories are organized by popularity, so stories with more votes are displayed higher on the screen. Social news does not discriminate between news provider and news consumer, allowing constituents to shape the news and react instantly when a story breaks. When Wikileaks released the graphic Apache video, the top Reddit stories were links to the video with headlines that demanded coverage from bigger aggregate sites like CNN and BBC. Sites like Digg and Reddit contain innate incentives to seek out unique or controversial stories, adding a degree of accountability and involvement that normal media lacks. Bank bonuses, scandals, the next iPhone are all examples of links that get voted to the front page. It should be no question of why newspapers are dying off: they lack the personal accountability and feeling of control and customization that an online community provides.
Social media’s ease of access is also its downfall. As the number of members grows, the average quality per submission falls. Some users game the system so their stories reach the main page more quickly or at the expense of others. Other compromising participants spam links to the point where finding an interesting and engaging article becomes a chore. By creating an abundance of articles that advertise at the expense of information, spammers profit from the masses of users who have made the site a part of their news regimen. Before social news sites catch on as a dependable source of news, spam and other malignancies must be fixed. Until then, it will serve as a news supplement for the growing Internet generations.
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