It's funny how times change - over 20 years ago, when I was much younger, major news outlets kept the country updated on the then-current hostage crisis in Iran. Even if someone didn't want to watch, it was hard to escape, as the story had implications not only for our country, but for the world.

It seemed almost unthinkable that a major news outlet would ever ignore such a story, or have anybody but professional reporters out covering the topic. "Citizen journalism," as we've come to call it, had yet to gain traction in popularity.

However, after riots broke out in Tehran after its recent elections, social media such as YouTube, Flickr, and other outlets became the leader in providing information on ongoing events. American news outlets like CNN became second tier news. In fact, several Twitter users created the #CNNfail hashtag to discuss how CNN had failed to cover the elections, and in response, CNN claimed to cover more of the election than any other news source. The battle between social media and major news channels has become uncomfortably visible.


It would be easy to make the argument that social media is changing the face of journalism, and people are increasingly using these tools to become "citizen journalists"...but more importantly, social media is providing open channels of information. Although major news outlets may provide context, social media is enabling individuals to seek out information on their own and empowering them to provide their own context. People are no longer just accepting information - they're seeking it out and contextualizing it themselves. This has a huge impact on the vitality of official 'news' stations and newspapers around the world, altering not only how we see and understand current events, but also shifting the paradigm of who has the final authority.

From tracking the election to preparing against propaganda, social media is becoming a more accessible way to access the stories we care about. Perhaps it's moving so quickly that major news outlets are struggling to catch up. (In fact, CNN has wisely begun integrating "citizen journalism" into a relatively new Twitter feed). Regardless, real-time news from everyday people is gaining popularity and eroding the need for news to be 'official.'

What will happen to traditional news outlets and how they choose to channel and integrate information is sure to be an interesting story to follow in itself. What will we gain by trusting one over the other? What will we lose? One thing's for sure though- in these tumultuous times, the whole world is watching.