Redefining Mainstream Media - The Growth of Social Media and a New Digital News Culture

Aside from the names “Clinton” and “Trump”, one of the most frequently mentioned terms this election was “mainstream media.” Throughout the 2016 presidential election, members of both political parties consistently criticized the media for its coverage - many saw major news outlets as unfair and biased, often exaggerating events out of proportion or creating unnecessary controversy. While some still view networks such as CNN and Fox News as examples of mainstream media, the growth of digital and social media has significantly altered not only the entertainment landscape, but the political as well. Despite the dominance of large cable news outlets for the past 50 years, a new source of information may be emerging as the true mainstream media of the 21st Century. 

Shift to Social Media

Mainstream media is commonly classified as media outlets that are able to reach large audiences and capable of influencing and reshaping the thoughts of significant segments of the population. Until recently, large broadcast media conglomerations maintained a clear dominance in controlling information dissemination to the masses. However, within the last decade, social media sites have not only grown exponentially, but have also emerged as central sources of news and content for millions of people. 

The rapid growth of social media sites as legitimate news sources has caused a shift from following news on TV to following it on digital media platforms. Four weeks ago, CNN had the most watched cable news election night coverage in history, with 13.258 million primetime viewers. While these numbers may seem impressive initially, they are dwarfed when compared to the interaction on social media platforms. On Facebook alone, CNN’s election night coverage saw 169.7 million video views and 47.6 million views on Facebook Live. These numbers show the enormous amounts of people that prefer to consume information on social media rather than from traditional media outlets. In addition, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center earlier this year found that a majority of adults in the U.S. now get their news from social media.   

Social Media has become the primary source of news for a majority of adults (Source: Pew Research Center)

The study found that for the two most popular social media sites, nearly 60% of Twitter users receive news from Twitter and two-thirds of Facebook users get information from Facebook. In terms of attracting and influencing large audiences, social media has not only surpassed traditional broadcast media, but has become an outlet for them to reach larger audiences. 

Public Perception

In a year of populist politics, the two candidates that most clearly utilized styles of populism were Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. While clashing on a multitude of issues, one of the central points of agreement was a dislike for traditional media - “Anti-establishment” quickly became one of the central themes of the 2016 presidential election. The “Establishment”, seen as an influential group of powerful media elites with history and ties within the industry, became easy targets to blame for maintaining the status quo as well as constructing and protecting the political elite. 

As of 2012, 60% of Americans already had little to no trust in what they believed to be mainstream media. Fast forward to 2016, this dissatisfaction and anger has only been exacerbated. Through months of campaigning, Sanders and Trump slowly eroded the little remaining trust that existed in mainstream media. As of 2016, Gallup found that the already low trust in media had sunk to only 30%. 

Distrust in media has risen from 60% in 2012 to 68% in 2016 (Source: Gallup) 

This continual decline illustrates that not only is the United States tired of traditional politics and media, but that it is hungry for a new wave of populism politics. In the most basic sense, populism is a contrast to the norm, making it both anti-media and anti-establishment. This dissatisfaction and shift from broadcast news, as well as the increase in online viewing, shows the shrinking audience for traditional news networks and the gradual reduction of its reach and influence. With the growing presence of anti-establishment politics led by notable individuals such as Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren in the coming years, not only is the reach of the current “mainstream media” disappearing, but it is shifting to new digital platforms.  

Rise of User-Generated Content

The increase in platforms for user-generated content has led to the growth of new sources of information. YouTube, one of the most popular social media sites, is a prime example of this concept. Online channels such as The Young Turks and Secular Talk have built considerable followings, attracting large audiences on a daily basis. While content creators are typically the antithesis of the political elite, their influence and trustworthiness in the eyes of viewers rivals and even surpasses that of traditional media counterparts in some instances. With the growing Generation Y and Generation Z demographics, viewers between 13 and 24 will represent the future of media and politics. In terms of maintaining a younger audience, The Young Turks outperformed CNN by nearly 2.9 million video starts in the month of April. Other notable online commentators include Tomi Lahren, who was recently invited onto The Daily Show because of her popularity through the Facebook platform as well as her reach and influence. 

(Source: YouTube)

With the election of Trump, the power of corporate media has shifted to digital platforms. The success of news shows on social media and the increasing usage of these outlets further establishes the influence divide between the two sources of information. Online media channels create the opportunity for user-generated content, a form of communication that has rapidly expanded in the last decade, matching and, in some cases, outperforming traditional broadcast rivals. 

Final Thoughts

The latest election cycle was clear to define mainstream media as large media conglomerations with widespread reach and influence. However, with Trump’s victory and the success of populist politics, this traditional standard and power balance no longer exists. Social media websites have swiftly outpaced broadcast networks in reach, both due to shifting consumption trends as well as a collapse in trust. The interactivity of user-generated online content expands this circle of influence and creates communities for thought sharing that traditional broadcast media simply doesn’t have. Until the wave of populism dies down or trust in traditional media is restored, the power of reach and influence will likely be defined by the same sources with funny cat GIFs and memes.

That is, social media is the new mainstream, and that won’t be changing anytime soon.

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Erwen (Alex) Zhu is an intended Business Major at the University of California Berkeley and writes as a millennial voice for marketing, social media, entertainment, politics, and cultural impact.

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