Fourth International Conference on Communication & Media Studies

Abstract

The paper investigates the objectives of the Facebook Journalism Project and considers its relevance in furthering journalism as a trade and practice. Social media platforms have become vast consuming grounds for news and has become the centre of publisher’s digital media strategies. Conventional wisdom hailed social media as a liberating idea that would empower civil society and strengthen the foundational principles of liberal democracy. Importantly, it was widely believed that social media was beginning to wield considerable influence on socio-political and cultural conversations on their platforms. Most importantly, social media was thought to be the anti-thesis of authoritarian practices of a nation-state. The paper will attempt to validate the assumption whether Facebook as a social media platform has empowered civil societies and importantly the foundational principles of democracy. In this study, the authors argue that Facebook, its algorithms and information dissemination practices, are the new gatekeepers in the media landscape. They explore the potential of the social network company’s considerable influence over public discourse and the ability to shape realities, a trait that was attributed to the press. As a case study, the focus of this research paper is to examine the relevance of FJP to journalism and study the impact of Facebook on journalistic practices- how journalists gather, receive, write, edit, publish, distribute, and verify news. The study uses data gleaned from both detailed interviews of editors and responses to a questionnaire administered to journalists.