This past week, the United States has been victim to several unthinkable tragedies.  From the bombing at the Boston Marathon to the explosion of the fertilizer plant in West Texas and the shooting at MIT, updates on important information have traveled fastest on different social media channels.

 

The release of breaking news on social media platforms has become the quickest way to inform the largest audience about information and real-time happenings.  Whether it’s Twitter, Facebook, or Google+, people go to their online news sources first for important updates on current events.

 

While the vast reach of social media gives users a large advantage to gather and share knowledge that could help and comfort victims of these tragic events, exposing breaking news on social media platforms also tends to spread worse information faster.

 

There is always a possibility that a misinformed user could end up creating a dangerous falsification about a suspect or conspirators.  On the other hand, the fast-pace of social networking sites gives informed members of the public a chance to bring justice to criminals at a much faster rate.

 

At the end of the day, breaking news on social media outlets is an asset of the modern world that several newsrooms take advantage of.  They just have to remember that not all sources are accurate, credible or even-tempered.