Brian Stelter, quoting Amanda Ripley from The Atlantic, is warning journos that Twitter is not real life and “8 out of 10 people don’t use” the social media platform:
"I think Twitter should come with a warning, especially for journalists, that says '8 out of 10 people don't use this'" —@amandaripley
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) December 30, 2021
Cool stat, bro. Now tell us how many Americans actually watch CNN each day:
What's CNN's % of everyone?
— Dan Gillmor (@dangillmor) December 30, 2021
It’s “elitist crap.” Twitter actually has more engagement than the mainstream media:
I am so thoroughly tired of seeing elitist crap like this. Yes, only about 23% of Americans use Twitter. Only about 0.3% watch CNN. 0.9% watch Fox News. Only ~2% watch NBC Nightly News.
Twitter DWARFS the mainstream news media. https://t.co/3ArCTPEOSH
— Our Blue America (@OurBlueAmerica) December 30, 2021
Journalism professor Jeff Jarvis called him out, too:
I'm so sick of this elitism. 1. Twitter is not a mass. It is individual voices. Chose to listen to them or not but to reject them all is to continue the sins of mass media. 2. Same can be said of The Atlantic; fewer read it and far fewer speak there.
— Jeff Jarvis (@jeffjarvis) December 30, 2021
Oh, and the people who run news sites ARE using Twitter so there’s that:
yes, this is true, but I'd also say that 10 of 10 people who determine what information people need and how its received by 8 out of 10 people do use this platform
— Steven Pierce (@ToffeesTV) December 30, 2021
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