With the rise of social media in modern news, traditional means of journalism have been rendered obsolete. On Feb. 4, the Washington Post officially eliminated its print and digital sports department. The closure was announced by Executive Editor Matt Murray, who did so in hopes to save the publication from financial ruin. This decision has led to a company-wide restructuring resulting in roughly 300 staffers losing their job and many others being reassigned to other sectors.
As social media continues to develop and become the main source of news for younger generations, physical newspaper publications have become obsolete. In an age where any media can be uploaded in seconds, news updates, especially sports ones, are more effective on social media platforms. Highlights and other in-game moments can be posted within seconds of happening, rather the hours, or even days, that it can take for a newspaper publication to come out.
“I’m worried that this has larger implications,” Logan Foote (’26) said. “I think this is a definitive sign that journalism is a dying art. I also think that we will see more sectors shutting down in the near future.”
This change could be the beginning of the end for traditional journalism. First, the sports and books departments close, then another department, then who knows what. Above all, the Washington Post, one of the top newspaper publishers in the United States, needing to close sectors because of financial issues is not a good sign for smaller publishers. Newspapers with fewer readers and subscribers will soon face the same issues if they have not already.
“I do enjoy watching sports highlights, especially when I can’t watch the actual game,” Jack Ricciardiello (’26) said. “It’s nice to get the ‘readers digest’ through Instagram clips and whatnot so I can talk about it with my friends at school the next day.”
Misinformation also poses a threat when it comes to news on social media. It is much more difficult for disinformation to spread since traditional journalism has many checks in place to limit the spread of misinformation such as editors and proof readers. As for social media, one person can post a story in an instant without second thought. This false information can then be seen by millions in minutes, leading to an abundance of misinformed viewers. When it comes to sports journalism, player statistics can be falsified much easier. As the art of journalism dies out, so does the ability to truly trust online media.
“Social media has become way more accessible, but it comes with a double-edged sword,” Rayan Rashid (’26) said. “Misinformation is way more prominent as compared to a traditional journalism publication.”
The Washington Post announced that a few reporters would be sent to Super Bowl LX and the Winter Olympics despite the closing; however this would be the final stand for the beloved section. With misinformation at an all-time high, readers must resist the highly processed news that is social media journalism.
