I never thought I would see the day when the institution of journalism and the concept of ethical news reporting are under siege. Well, “siege” may be a bit dramatic, but in the age of social media, journalism is struggling to stay credible and relevant. The newsroom no longer has sole authority or first claim on the news (Hermida, 2010). Today, breaking news can come from a teenager with a smartphone, a tweet, or a voice note long before journalists can investigate what happened.
Maares et al. (2025) identify autonomy, objectivity, and transparency as key normative values through which journalism establishes credibility and legitimacy. However, the rise of social media has complicated these values. Journalists no longer have the same autonomy over what enters the news cycle; objectivity is challenged in online spaces that prioritise personal opinions; and transparency now plays out in front of an audience that can easily question and even participate in the reporting process.
At the same time, social media cannot be dismissed as a threat to journalism, as it can function as an effective news-gathering tool when journalists apply appropriate sourcing and verification practices (Zhang & Li, 2020). Journalists have broader access to a wide cross-section of people and greater access to images, videos, and information. The challenge therefore is not social media itself, but what happens when the demand for speed, virality, and engagement collides with journalism’s responsibility to be credible, accurate, and transparent in its news reporting. Bossio (2017, pp. 34–35) argues that rapid access to videos, images, and eyewitnesses can assist verification, while instant publishing and virality also increase the spread of misinformation. To remain valuable in this environment, journalists and traditional news organisations must move beyond simply being the first to share information and place greater emphasis on adding credibility, context, and verification to information already in circulation. Two examples that come to mind are the stories that follow a Kingston College (KC) student seen hanging over a staircase and the Milton “119” Wray and Patrice Hussey-Malcolm case. These examples demonstrate how easily social media can place journalism in a reactive position and how quickly ethics can be breached.
A video showing a Kingston College student hanging from a staircase railing quickly circulated online, with the images appearing to suggest that other students were responsible for the act. Social media users quickly speculated that the video depicted a case of bullying. However, later reporting provided additional context that challenged the video’s initial interpretation (Jamaica Observer, 2026). This incident illustrates that what the audience sees first isn’t necessarily the truth or the complete story. Add virality to that reality, and you get a rapid-fire spread of incomplete or misleading information. Since social media broke the news first, journalism’s role then shifted to investigating and providing accurate information, which challenged the initial narrative that the incident was simply a case of bullying.
In the case of Milton “119” Wray and Patrice Hussey-Malcolm, widow of veteran broadcaster Dervan Malcolm, the question of ethics comes into play. Blogger Milton “119” Wray used his social platforms to publish allegations about Patrice Hussey-Malcolm and her marriage that quickly went viral, with videos that have amassed over 100,000 views. Patrice Hussey-Malcolm has since disputed the allegations and filed a defamation claim, but by that point, the content had already reached a wide audience online (Mills, 2026). The situation demonstrates the difficulty of applying traditional journalistic principles in an environment where individuals can now publish allegations to audiences once largely accessible only to established media organisations. Unfortunately, with that reach comes real risk and responsibility, including harm to someone’s reputation, invasion of privacy, and public harassment.
Rollesha Laing, Lifestyle and Entertainment Journalist at the Gleaner, shares my sentiments. We both see social media as a valuable news source and a challenge to professional journalism. Laing describes social media as an “invaluable news source”, noting that it provides access to breaking developments, public relations, and potential stories in real time (R. Laing, personal communication, September 20, 2026). However, she makes an important distinction: “I wouldn’t dismiss social media as a news source, but I also wouldn’t treat everything on it as news” (R. Laing, personal communication, September 20, 2026). This supports my view that access to information is not the same as journalism. As Rollesha explains, “Having access to information or being the first to post it is not the same as doing the work required to verify it” (R. Laing, personal communication, September 20, 2026).
Although our views are similar, Laing places emphasis directly on the practical responsibility of journalists to protect accuracy and credibility, while my concern extends to how social media challenges traditional journalistic values and the wider ethical consequences of unchecked publication. She believes that the role of the journalist on social media is to be the voice of verification. “We have to stop, question, verify, and provide the context that may be missing from a viral post, even if that means we are not the first to publish” (R. Laing, personal communication, September 20, 2026). While I initially view social media as placing journalism’s authority under pressure, Laing’s perspective suggests that this disruption may instead reinforce the importance of professional journalism. As she concludes, it “makes what we stand for even more important now” (R. Laing, personal communication, September 20, 2026).
Ultimately, social media has not made journalism obsolete; the role of journalism has shifted as it attempts to exist in social media spaces. The ability to find, record, and distribute information is no longer exclusive to trained journalists, showing us that the news has truly been democratised. What has not changed, however, is the need for news and journalists to be accurate, provide context, be accountable, and have sound ethical judgement. Social media may often be first, louder, and faster, but in an environment where anyone can publish, journalists must now help audiences determine what they can believe instead of simply adding to information already in circulation.
References
Bossio, D. (2017). Journalism and Social Media. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-65472-0
Jamaica Observer. (2026, September 24). KC student seen hanging from rail was not being bullied, sources claim. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/09/24/kc-student-seen-hanging-rail-not-bullied-sources/
Hermida, A. (2010). Twittering the News: The Emergence of Ambient Journalism. Journalism Practice, 4(3), 297–308. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512781003640703
Maares, P., Löhmann, K., Hanusch, F., & Nölleke, D. (2025). Autonomy, Objectivity, and Transparency: The Meaning and Negotiation of Journalistic Values Across Different Journalistic Beats. The International Journal of Press/Politics. https://doi.org/10.1177/19401612251375208
Mills, C. (2026, September 23). Dervan Malcolm’s widow files injunction against blogger 119. Jamaica Observer. https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/2026/09/23/dervan-malcolms-widow-files-injunction-blogger-119/
Zhang, X., & Li, W. (2020). From Social Media with News: Journalists’ Social Media Use for Sourcing and Verification. Journalism Practice, 14(10), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2019.1689372
Amoy is intent on fulfilling God’s will and purpose for her life. She is a celebrity publicist, a proud Jamaican, a writer, an international speaker, a media practitioner and a published author. She loves all things luxury and is on a mission to become one of the wealthiest women from her island and in the world. 40 under 40, is that you?