The Role of Digital Media in Social Responsibility

This year, the University of Southern California Annenberg released its seventh annual study on the digital future. Additionally, Alisa Miller of Public Radio International, presented at the prestigious TED conference in February on the American news media. All in all, both sources revealed some compelling statistics on how Americans receive news. For example:

-In the last decade, news networks have reduced foreign bureaus by 50% and there are none in Africa, India and South America (where there are more than 2 billion people)
-In a world of more than 190 nations, the American media would have us believe there are no more than 10
-Americans today know less than their counterparts did 20 years ago
-One-fourth of Americans get their news from local television, 12% of which is dedicated to international news
-Two-thirds of Americans are pretty much in the dark about world affairs; 14% of men and only 3% of women claimed to be extremely knowledgeable on world politics

So what does this mean for Americans? For corporations? For global citizens?

These numbers show that in an age of diminishing investment in traditional news-gathering, average citizens, via blogs, social media networks or videos, play an integral role in reporting real events from all over the world. And we don't need to remind you that the media landscape is changing from traditional print and broadcast to digital and social media as nearly 60% of Internet users today look for news online.

We have frequently discussed the power of individuals as influencers on this blog - with average citizens using the Web to voice opinions, sway elections and mobilize communities to incite change. However, a worldwide citizen news force is still in the making and in the meantime, companies and governments continue to conduct inhumane and underreported acts overseas. Royal Dutch/Shell's exploitation of Nigerians is overlooked, the truth behind Myanmar's cyclone devastation is withheld and the abuse of children by humanitarian aid workers in war-torn regions is silenced. Corporations and governments must be held accountable for their actions, domestically and internationally, and giving a voice to the individuals witnessing these atrocities and malpractices firsthand is the key ingredient to ensuring social responsibility within these organizations.

Digital media will continue to play an important role in the distribution of news and the raising of awareness in a time of rapid globalization and we as individuals must understand our role in fostering this news revolution. It is our responsibility, as active and global citizens, to take an interest in the world around us by speaking up and encouraging change. In other words, its time we brought power back to the people.