Sifting through a homepage featuring endless Vine and BuzzFeed videos, Memes and Tasty how-tos, readers might shrug off the idea that Facebook has become a platform for open journalism. However, during periods of great upheaval, such as the Paris terrorist attacks last month, or the federal elections in October, Facebook noticeably functions like a newsroom.    Articles are shared on peoples’ walls, sweeping statements are posted as status updates, and with just one click on the trending sidebar, users can explore a list of related coverage. Facebook has become its own media outlet, brimming with topical content. But what are the implications of this ‘open’ journalism?

Since its humble beginning in 2004 as a site used primarily by college students to connect with each other— becoming ‘friends’, tagging photos, and writing self-centered statuses— Facebook has been about creating an online identity. Along with many other social media platforms such as Twitter, Tumblr and Instagram, its main purpose is still self-promotion.       Unsurprising to readers, this can be considered as a direct product of today’s fast-paced, capitalist- driven world. Perhaps we can see the trend more clearly in some of the site’s other content, including posted pictures and event notifications. But a large part of that self-promotion means aligning oneself with specific political organizations, social movements, and subcultures.

This is where the journalistic function comes in. We all recommend articles and discuss issues that are important to us. With the Internet however, it is easy for an individual to research and gather information from other sources, whether verified or not, on any given topic.  Facebook also allows users to self-publish; they can edit and present information as posts on their ‘wall’. These ‘journalistic’ statuses are then re-shared by friends, effectively becoming sources themselves. From the gathering of information to the presentation of ideas, Facebook is a massive vehicle for a type of proto-journalism by its users.

However, this is not journalism for journalism’s sake.

Instead, individuals use it to gain more ‘friends’, stay relevant to the online world, and brand themselves.

It is hard to say exactly when social media’s great shift towards open journalism happened, but in 2011, Facebook and Twitter’s fundamental role in the Arab Spring uprising got people to sit up and take notice of the platform as a tool for upheaval and revolution.

The following year, The Guardian’s Cannes Lion award-winning “Three Little Pigs” advertisement drew attention to the potential issues of journalistic freedom. It depicted how open journalism can affect criminal cases through a retelling of the beloved fairytale. By sharing leaked information along with retweeting and posting about the story, Facebook users in the ad were able to draw attention to disparaging facts about the wolf.

Ultimately, they uncovered that the Three Little Pigs framed him to hide their insurance fraud. Social media isn’t just a tool for open journalism here – the ad also makes clear how these interactions can lead to social activism.

People have been asking, what does it mean for journalists if Facebook users are dominating the digital waves? Personally, I think it has the potential to actually enhance opportunities in journalism. A common response from people is that journalism is dead. Although it may be true that print media is slowly fading as social media continues to expand, opportunities in online and/or web-based media are rapidly increasing. Whether for self-promotion or a genuine interest in social reform, people that use social media to discuss current issues need to gain their information from somewhere. It’s important to remember that while a lot of shared content comes from unverified sources, a significant portion is made up of links to credible newspapers, magazines, and media companies like BuzzFeed.

The important distinction in completely user-generated content is that social media users have access to a public readership and act like journalists without understanding or considering journalistic ethics. Often, what gets shared on Facebook comes from personal blogs and statuses containing statistics that are not properly sourced or cited. Aside from this issue of accuracy, another major concern is the standard of “fairness.”

The Canadian Association of Journalists states in its ethical guidelines that journalists need to “give people, companies or organizations that are publicly accused or criticized an opportunity to respond before [they] publish those criticisms or accusations.”

Most Facebook users are not concerned with giving the “publically accused” the chance to respond, because they see the platform as a personal domain where they can make whatever claims or accusations they wish, regardless of the consequences.

Even as Facebook continues to facilitate open journalism, it is still a place where we establish our personal online identities. Facebook users that contribute to open journalism sometimes disregard harmful effects on journalistic standards and can interrupt criminal justice for the sake of the self-promotion that’s inherent to the structure of the Facebook platform.

We often overlook these issues to focus instead on the possibilities for social change and the future of digital media journalism. Ultimately, the goal of any piece of journalism should be to keep readers accurately informed. As a reader, the first step is considering what’s behind the content we read on Facebook. It can be a great place to see what people are talking about, but no opinion or fact should be accepted after just one click.

Featured image courtesy of Tess King