According to “fourth annual Digital Journalism Study” by Oriella PR network seems that more and more professional journalists get their information and updates from social media. Each year shows higher percent of journalists who find, use or confirm their research and work on social media.

This actually means that traditional media finds digital media very useful and trustworthy.
Though traditional, mainstream media still prefer to publicly present social media and citizen journalism as not reliable and impossible to rely on, seems like they do like new, fresh information and updates on events traditional media hasn’t heard about yet.

So much discussed Arab spring is greatly connected with social media. According to some people and experts Arab spring wouldn’t have happened that there was no social media.
Some really unavailable information to professional journalists were more than available to citizens of those cities affected by protests. Because it happened in their native land and streets. They were there.

Recently social media is connected with protests in Spain and today peaceful protest in Athens, Greece. So those who weren’t present can receive first handed info, both from journalists and citizen journalists. And again I’m sure many traditional journalists got valuable, breaking news from social media.

Now yes, most online used and not only in term sense, is social media phenomenon.
And there is nothing wrong to use existing good and resources. Of course as long as it’s for real purpose.

It’s not professional journalist’s fault for having education, training and knowledge same as it’s not people’s fault for having opportunity to use new technology and chance to become one of citizen journalists.

Hence, there is nothing wrong for professional journalists to use social media news and data. They do not harm to their profession and career. They just use available information to share them with their readers and audience, because there are still people who prefer reading newspaper and watching TV news and headlines than informing online, through social media and news websites.

It’s only filling the gaps.