Discuss the pros, cons and implications of the proliferation of social networking tools being used in news reporting, such as blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and Twitter.

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Discuss the pros, cons and implications of the proliferation of social networking tools being used in news reporting, such as blogs, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit and Twitter. These so-called news sources have been credited with becoming a primary news source for many in younger demographic groups. Are these the new channels of news distribution, or merely a trend or something else entirely? Your discussion should include recent events that have been impacted by social networking as a news source.

 

 

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Your text suggests that the bulk of “prosocial” programming appears on PBS. But the proliferation of children’s programming on cable offers an opportunity for many other programs to offer positive programming as well. Watch a selection of kids’ shows from a variety of stations (Nick, Disney, Cartoon Network). What themes do you see? Is prosocial programming possible and present on the commercial cable nets? And if not, what themes and agendas are you able to identify that might be considered more negative in nature?