Social media and broadcast journalism are two very different types of media. Social media can often feel more personal while broadcast journalism focuses on spreading news to a large audience. According to Pew Research, in 2022, approximately 72% of all American adults have one form of social media that they regularly use. Compared to ten years prior, that is an 18% increase. 

The last six years have brought a decrease in the amount of television broadcast consumed by the public. From 2016 to 2022, there has been a decrease of almost half a million people in viewership (Pew Research, 2022). This decrease in viewership is likely due to the increase in accessibility of social media. 

The increase of access to social media has led many people to various platforms as a way to find out what is happening in their community, country, or the world. Many people who use social media as their main source of news and information are being misinformed. This is because of the lack of control that these platforms take over what other users can post. This lack of control is where misinformation can flourish because many people share what they see on social media based on their opinion and without checking to see if the information is true. 

Simply put, the battle between truth and misinformation is constantly taking place in the media. The fight for truth through broadcast journalism and the unawareness of misinformation on social media is a fight for the foreseeable future. To stray from misinformation, double-check every source and every piece of information through social media that is not posted by a trustworthy source.