Scroll, Click, Trust: How newsrooms must adapt to social media
During a webinar organised by the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Media Academy, Birkan Koç, Brand Marketing Specialist at TRT Türkiye, argued that news has continually evolved alongside technology: moving from newspapers to radio, TV, and now the internet. In each era, “news is shaped not only by content, but by the logic of distribution as well,” Koç observed.
Newspapers arranged stories in a clear hierarchy; radio added immediacy; TV brought trusted faces, like the nightly news anchor into our homes. However, each new medium changed how audiences receive and prioritise information. As Canadian philosopher Marshall McLuhan argued, the medium shapes the message. The shift from print to pixels has reshaped the very form of news.
Are news websites going out of fashion? Possibly. As Koç noted, each technological leap brings a new attention structure. Yet, for now, the website underpins today’s news: they are linkable, searchable, and on-demand. Users can seek out stories instantly. Social media reverses this logic. As Koç explained, with websites “you choose what to open… but in social feeds, you don’t search for news; it finds you.”
The algorithmic feed
In short, social media journalism demands different packaging: lighter context, upfront facts, and often a human face or a provocative question to grab attention instantly.
Participatory news in the social media era
Under Web 2.0’s ethos of participation, audiences are no longer just passive recipients; they are contributors, commentators, and eyewitness reporters. Koç emphasised that on social media, “users are not only listeners, but active meaning-makers.”
While TikTok news often feels like casual, everyday voices, X remains a more formal “stream” for updates. In both cases, algorithms act as gatekeepers: roughly two-thirds of X users and 61 percent of TikTok users say the platform influences the news they see.
The double-edged sword of virality
This environment has distinct pros and cons. On one hand, news organisations can reach global audiences instantly. Even local stories can “go viral” and resonate worldwide if packaged correctly. Koç reminded the audience that publishing in English can grant a local report international visibility overnight.
On the other hand, social feeds are plagued by disinformation. Pew finds that roughly a quarter or more of users on every major platform regularly encounter inaccurate news. In a world saturated by algorithmic noise, trust is both precious and fragile. Jonas Kaiser, an Assistant Professor of Communication and Journalism at Suffolk University, observed that today, credibility is tied to people rather than just broadcast brands: “As social media embraces inauthenticity, community-focused journalism will find a starving audience.”
Written by: Nerina Rosli
*Meme was AI-generated
