Digital platforms have become an integral part of how Americans get their news, with social media playing a crucial role, particularly for younger adults. According to Pew Research Center, just over half of U.S. adults (54%) say they at least sometimes get news from social media, and about a third of U.S. adults say they regularly get news specifically on platforms like Facebook and Youtube.
In January, NPR reported that Meta announced changes to how it handles content moderation, effectively ending third party fact-checking on its platforms — Facebook, Instagram, and Threads — with the goal of moving to a more user-based system, an approach similar to Elon Musk’s X (formerly Twitter).
As platforms like Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and X increasingly shape how we consume news, we’re asking: how do these changes impact public trust in the news, what responsibility should these social media giants take in moderating content on their platforms for accuracy, and how can we as users be more ethical in our engagement with social media and news online?
Listen here:
About the Expert:
Dean Beckman, M.S., is an associate professor and chair of the Business and Communication Department. Beckman has been a faculty member at Saint Mary’s for 24 years and teaches classes in public relations, journalism, and mass media. In addition to his faculty role, Beckman also serves as the university’s faculty athletics representative and does both P.A. announcing and play-by-play webcasting for Saint Mary’s varsity athletic events. Prior to Saint Mary’s, Beckman worked for Winona Radio doing news and sports for 7 years. His Master of Science in Mass Communication is from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville.
