The media is becoming increasingly powerful because of it's current set of reporters and the reporters are no longer the people sat behind the desks filing copy or the presenters on TV. The main reporters, the main people behind the media nowadays are the public. It cannot be understated how powerful the internet and in particular social media has become and how it has (re?-) claimed the media as the public's voice for opposition against the government and it's authority. The government and the law are fighting back though. For example, there is currently someone on trial for divulging Jamie Bulger's killers
new identities on Facebook and Twitter.
I watched the Boston bombing on
the TV and had Twitter open at the same time on a window on my laptop,
the TV reports were a good hour behind what was being posted on twitter.
The threat social media is having to the government's authority in the UK is evident with the legislation which is currently being proposed which proposes tighter restrictions over what can or cannot be said on social media.
Quite what is going to happen with this legislation, the trials and what route social media will go down remains to be seen. Many media commentators are saying that what is required before this legislation is enforced is a larger discussion on what is acceptable to be published or what is not but this should be considered in general and not based on specific cases currently in the media.
