Author: Amy L. Charles

How Facebook outpaced traditional media in Grand Rapids

The news on Thursday, July 7 was unnerving for Grand Rapids natives. The headline on MLive read “Grand Rapids man tells mother on phone that he killed his wife, police responding”. The article was brief, the update and live coverage blurbs chilling. “Police blocking off neighborhood in standoff, telling neighbors to stay inside.” “Police report

Context crucial when judging social media

When Osama bin Laden was killed by U.S. forces, many people learned the news from Facebook. In fact, Pew Research Center reported that more than six percent of Americans overall and more than 14 percent of Americans aged 18-34 learned of bin Laden’s death that way. Even more important, Pew reported that 44 percent of