Research Paper on Social Media As A News And Information Source

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Project Report and Comprehensive Viva
(Subject Code: 352)
Semester VI
On
Social Media As A News And Information Portal During The Pandemic
For
Partial fulfillment of the requirement of
Bachelors of Arts in Journalism and
Mass Communication
(Batch: 2018-2021)
Submitted by: Submitted to:
Honika Sharma Dr Aneela Tahilramani
02529802418 Internal Supervisor
Vivekananda School of Journalism and Mass Communication
Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies
Accredited Grade “A” by NAAC, Recognized under Section 2(f) of UGC,
Affiliated to Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University,
Recognized by Bar Council of India Approved BY AICTE, ISO 9001:2015
AU Block, Outer Ring Road, Pitampura, Delhi – 110034

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UNDERTAKING BY STUDENT
I, Honika Sharma, Enrolment No. 02529802418 student of Semester VI, Batch: 2018-21
submit the Project Report on the topic, Social Media as a News and Information Portal
during the Pandemic for BA(JMC) Paper code – 352, Semester VI is completed by me and it
is an authentic work done by me.
Name:
HONIKA SHARMA
Signature of the Student
Date: 18th
June’21

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CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION
Certified that the ‘Project Report’ on the topic, Social Media As A News And Information
Portal During The Pandemic submitted by Ms. HONIKA SHARMA Enrolment No.
02529802418 for Subject Code: 352, Semester VI in partial fulfillment of Bachelors of Arts in
Journalism and Mass Communication’ has been completed under my supervision.
Date: 18th
June’21 DR ANEELA TAHILRAMANI
Internal Supervisor

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I thank Dr Aneela Tahilramani for taking the time to clarify my understanding on the topic
Social Media as a News and Information Portal during the Pandemic and questions that
arose in the area during the research and for making the idea clear about the research by giving
the proper sequence of the topic covered.
Thank you to all those who have helped, listened and encouraged me throughout this research.
My sincere thanks to all the members of the School of Education and life-long learning, staff
and students, whose continuous support have made this research possible.
Finally, I thank my family, without whom this research would not have been started or
completed. Their encouragement and support has never faltered.
HONIKA SHARMA

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INDEX
CONTENTS PAGE NO. SIGNATURE
Preface 6
Abstract 7
Introduction 8-17
Literature Review 18-21
Objectives 22
Methodology 23
Findings and Analysis 24-32
Conclusion 33
Bibliography 34
Appendices 35-36

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PREFACE
This work began as a research paper intended to show how social media acted as a news and information source
during the global pandemic, Covid-19. I conducted this research to find out how the digital media platforms
helped in circulating the news stories all around the country and helped in providing aid for those who posted
on it asking for help.
This research paper was created as the partial completion of the final project. It is arranged for the information
about social media and its actions during the pandemic.
During Covid-19 pandemic, many people faced difficulties searching for certain aids that were short in the
market, and some were troubled with the mainstream media’s gate-keeping and searched for the truth. This
survey based research paper is a minor step towards the truth and the public’s opinion

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ABSTRACT
Abstract is the most influential and powerful medium on it he present commercial society. The
main objective if this study is to find out, whether social media is a good source of news or not.
Social media today is trending worldwide. Especially, the youth today, rely on social media
sites for every work they do. Be it advertising, sponsorship, publicity or spreading the news.
Today, the internet is it the fastest medium for any kind of news. Before any other medium the
information comes on internet and social media sites highlight that news. There are thousands
of pages made on social media sites just to spread the news. Every person can read them. Even
they are provided on their regional languages for better understanding.

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INTRODUCTION
From being a stage for making friends to a melting pot of views and opinions, social media has converted the
way newsrooms and news makers interacted with the world. And this change is set to expand further with the
fast growth of affordable smart devices.
Not many of us have the time to watch the news channel every day to keep track of everything going on in the
world. We need news and we need it quick, that’s where one of the major roles comes into play, news and
current affairs.
Not only for news, but social media is a very vast platform and provides us with everything we need to know,
and updates us every now and then with the most beneficial information. It helps up to keep a connection with
our friends. Social media has shortened the distances between our loved ones so much that we don’t need to
worry about their well-being and depend on the weekly or monthly visits or phone calls. We can talk to them
anytime, anywhere as everyone today is ion social media.
Social media monitoring provides understanding and insight into how your industry, competitors and audience
are reacting to market trends. As well as giving businesses and consumers a platform to share their thoughts and
also participate in ongoing conversations. Social media is a channel through which people access news stories
and important information.
Social Media is the collective of online communications channels dedicated to community-based input,
interaction, content-sharing and collaboration. Websites and applications dedicated to forums, microblogging,
social-networking, social-bookmarking and wikis are among the different types of social media. Social media
depend on mobile and web-based-technologies to create highly interactive platforms, through which
individuals, communities and organizations can share, co-create, discuss, and modify user-generated content.
Social media are computer-mediated tools that allow people, companies, and other organizations to create,
share, or exchange information, career interests, ideas, and pictures/videos in virtual communities and networks.
Social media consists of various user-driven (inbound marketing) channels. As the principal owner of the
customer relationship in the firm, I typically, the marketing department is irresponsible inform managing these
social media channels. These channels represent a stark indifference from the advertiser-driven (outbound
marketing) push model. Although some may argue that the customer relationship is “everyone’s” responsibility
in the firm, the overarching responsibility rests with the marketing department as the champion inform the
customer. Social media is today’s most transparent, engaging and interactive form of public relations. It
combines the true grit of real time content with the beauty of authentic peer-to-peer communication. Social
media is not about what each one of us does or says, but about what we live and say together, worldwide,
toward communicate in all directions at any time, by any possible (digital) means. Social media allows us into
network, through find people with like interests, and toward meet people who can become friends or customers.
It flattens out the world and gives us access through people we never would have been able toward meet
otherwise. In the more traditional sense, online, on our phones, and toward the social platforms. Social media is
a shift in how we get our information. Now we get information, 24/7 and on the fly, from anywhere. It used
through live that we would await for the paper boy toward throw your news on the doorstep (or toward the
flowers) and we’d read the paper, front toward back, with your morning coffee before going toward work.
NEWS:- New information or report about something that has happened recently. Information that is reported in
a newspaper, magazine, television news program, web, etc. Someone or something that is exciting and in the
news. News is packaged information about current events happening somewhere else. News moves through
many indifferent media, based on word of mouth, printing, postal, broadcasting, and electronic. News comprises
all current activities which are of general human interest and the best news is that which interests most of the
reader.  News is the unusual picture of life.  News is anything out of the ordinary.  News is like a hot cake

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coming straight from oven.  News is anything that people talk about; the more it excites the greater its value.
Anything that enough people wants to read is news provided it does not violate the canons of good taste and the
law of libel.  News is the report of an event that is fresh, unusual and which is interesting into a greater
number of people. SOCIO NEWS:- Social news is a personalized form of news consumption, delivered ion a
central platform like Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, etc., according to how users engage with news stories from
various sources. Unlike traditional sources of news like television, radio and newspapers, there’s influential
activity happening on both the news provider’s end and the user’s end. Social news platforms act as a central
hub for news stories from various other third-party sources, possibly featuring stories from your friends, your
relatives, brands you like, popular blogs, unpopular websites, YouTube, advertisers and more
Credibility of Online News- Twitter has remained largely unchanged in terms of its reputation as a goto news
source with just over half (52 per cent) saying they turn toward the micro-blogging platform for news.
Traditional media outlets must shift their focus toward social media platforms in order into more effectively
reach readers, according through a new study by pew research center which shows Facebook is now the
dominant source for news. Having surveyed over 4,600 people pew found that 62 per cent of Americans rely
more on the social media platforms for news that they be traditional media. Across ill social media platforms
Reedit has the largest percentage of users who rely on it for news at 70 per cent; however its user base is
significantly smaller than Facebook’s. Discussing the findings social media expert, see Srinivasan, said “The
fact that people are gathering their news from these platforms reminds the media “about the importance of being
on various platforms and connecting with them there. Pew research found that 64 per cent of adults are active
ion Facebook, in their recent study and to receive news, 30 per cent are using the site. According to this
approximately half of the people using Facebook, trust the site to deliver their news. In the same way, 16 per
cent of US adults are active on Twitter, with exactly half of those i.e. i8% accessing the news through tweets.
Hence, social media is proved to be good source of news. Users on social media are not only reading news, but
they are also participating in the sharing and telling of stories. Half of ill social network users have shared news
stories on their own profiles and a further 46 per cent have discussed news ion social media. When compared
toward Pew’s 2013 study of the same research Facebook has saw the biggest jump in news consumption
growing from 47 per cent in 2013 into 66 per cent in 2016. News ion Facebook has been a source of
controversy recently after trends contractors accused the social media giant of filtering out some rightleaning
news sources. Facebook denied the accusations before announcing that it would change how it filters trending
topics. The ‘News use across social media platforms 2016’ report found that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,
YouTube and even Snapchat have emerged as the go-to sources inform news. Facebook, which has around 222
million monthly active users across the US and Canada, emerged as the number one source with 66 per cent of
those questioned admitting that they use the platform inform consuming news.
Social media platforms and the role they played during the pandemic
For some time now, thousands of Indians on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp have been in a
frantic hunt for hospital beds, oxygen cylinders, and medicines. From regular people to celebrities, all social
media users have sprung into action to help out those in need. In many cases, these appeals have possibly saved
lives.

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In fact, in the middle of the crisis, even dating app Tinder has proved useful in connecting the needy with the
helpful.

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Social media influencers like Kusha Kapila, who has over 1.6 million Instagram followers, and Ankush
Bahuguna, who is followed by 688,000 people, among others, have been playing good samaritans, stepping up
to amplify messages and connect people to leads. Bollywood actor Sonu Sood, who arranged buses to take
migrant workers home during the lockdown last May, has sprung into action once again, arranging hospital beds
and medicines.

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INDIVIDUALLY TOO, Social media websites such as Instagram and Facebook updated their settings and put
information centers that include all the facts, precaution measures, myth-busting news stories and helpline
numbers for the Covid-19 pandemic. It also provides latest leads for the oxygen cylinders, ICU beds and food
delivery for the covid positive patients.

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TWITTER also provides information and has multiple of hashtags for people’s every need during the pandemic.
Spread of the fake news during the pandemic-
Fake news witnessed an all-time high during the pandemic. A survey done by Social Media Matters (social
media ninjas working for social change), along with the Institute for Governance, Policies and Politics (a
think tank initiative dedicated for public policy research and analysis) has revealed that 69 per cent of people
received fake news during the lockdown.
The major source of fake news was WhatsApp with 88.4 per cent respondents reporting it, followed by
Facebook (reported by 42.5 per cent) and Instagram (reported by 21.96 per cent). The fake news included
the details of repatriation flights, preventive measures, and treatment for COVID-19, information regarding
containment zones or impending lockdowns in various areas, etc. Social Media Matters Founder Amitabh
Kumar says that on witnessing an increase in fake news regarding COVID-19, they decided to do the survey.
Questionnaires in Hindi and English were filled out by 3,752 respondents from across India. While the
majority of participants are between 18 to 25 years old (2,766 respondents), it was closely followed by the
age group of 25 to 35 with 565 respondents. The survey was supported by Sarvahitey and Youth Online
Learning Opportunities. Dr Manish Tiwari, Senior Fellow, IGPP, said, “Social media is becoming the new
carrier of infodemics in these times of pandemic.

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From the figures, it is clear that young people are being targeted to further spread the misinformation and
fake news as they are prime users of social media platforms.” According to the survey, 69 per cent
respondents reported receiving fake news regarding COVID-19 during the lockdown, and 84 per cent stated
that they don’t trust such news. Since the news is being spread in huge numbers, people have also become
vigilant. Seventy percent of the respondents reported cross checking and verifying news which seemed fake.
The major sources of fact checking were Google Search (48.8 per cent) and Government sources (36.6 per
cent). A total of 76 per cent people said that they informed others about the fake news, once recognized.
“While 89 per cent were aware that the dissemination of fake news is a crime as per the law, only 30 per
cent reported such news because 68 per cent didn’t know the online mechanism to report it. About 95 per
cent feel that there is a need to raise more awareness on the reporting mechanisms,” informs Kumar, adding,
“This information will help the government and tech platforms create better policies and tools to curb this
infodemic of misinformation. But a lot of work still needs to be done by social media platforms to achieve
this. We need to take up a systematic approach to ensure we build capacities of fact seeking.”
According to the survey, 69 per cent respondents reported receiving fake news regarding COVID-19 during
the lockdown, and 84 per cent stated that they don’t trust such news. Since the news is being spread in huge
numbers, people have also become vigilant. Seventy percent of the respondents reported cross checking and
verifying news which seemed fake, the major sources of fact checking were Google Search (48.8 per cent)
and Government sources (36.6 per cent). A total of 76 per cent people said that they informed others about
the fake news, once recognized.
Government actions towards the social media during the pandemic-
The Centre has asked social media platforms to curb misinformation and fake news relating to the raging
COVID-19 pandemic. India is currently dealing with an unprecedented surge in coronavirus cases that have
pushed the country's healthcare infrastructure to its limits.
The Ministry of Electronics and IT has sent an advisory to social media platforms such as Facebook,
WhatsApp, Twitter, and Instagram, asking them to "initiate awareness campaigns" amongst their user base
urging them not to circulate "any false news or misinformation," which may create "panic among the public and
disturb the public order", the Economic Times reported.
The Ministry has asked the social media platforms to take immediate action to remove fake news and
misinformation and promote authentic information pertaining to the COVID-19 pandemic. The platforms have
been asked to issue warnings to preparators who misuse these online spaces to spread misinformation.
In its advisory, the IT Ministry stated that social media platforms are intermediaries as defined in the
Information Technology Act, 2000 and are therefore required to follow due diligence, as written in the IT
(Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. These rules were notified under section
79 of the Information Technology Act in February of this year.
"They (social media platforms) must inform their users not to host, display, upload, modify, publish, transmit,
update or share any information that may affect public order and unlawful in any way," the IT Ministry's
advisory noted, according to the daily.
Earlier, social media firms had stated that they are intermediaries and do not read every single message that
passes through their platforms. Hence, it would be difficult for social media platforms to comply with such
government orders, the firms have argued.
Social media platforms have taken steps in the past to curb misinformation. Several of them have inbuilt
mechanisms that direct users to authentic information on topics such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
"No company is anyway knowingly allowing fake news, but what we think the government means is that if
companies see such misinformation circulating on their platforms, then they should stop it," an executive at a
social media firm told the daily.

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Punishment by the government for the people seeking aid on social media-
Lately, social media has been one great medium for Covid patients or their families or independent volunteers
to amplify their appeal to get medical assistance.
The second wave of Covid-19 in India has been devastating, to say the least. With the availability of hospital
beds, as well as medical supplies, reportedly limited, this has forced people who are infected or their families to
post appeals on various social media platforms for oxygen supplies and other medical assistance.
In these times, some state governments like the UP government were clamping down on Covid patients or their
families to appeal for help on social media. Some reports claim the state government was charging people under
the false pretext of spreading misleading information online to tarnish the government image. There have been
many posts on social media platforms sharing their experience in hospitals with limited availability of medical
supplies and, in some cases, the exorbitant price charged by hospitals. In a recent viral video, a girl from
Lucknow who lost her father dared UP CM to arrest her, reacting to reports that the state government may take
action against those spreading misinformation in the name of seeking help.

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LITERATURE REVIEW
Social media time had plateau in the past year. Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates
have the biggest increase among 18 markets. Unsurprisingly, the heaviest users lead the way in increased screen
time. Younger groups, especially in places of fast-growth markets, are ardent users of messaging apps and
social media. Gen Z and Millennials are at the forefront, especially in the Middle East and Latin America.
Their parents are also getting in on it. Baby Boomers are implementing social media into their daily habits.
Brands should realize that an older audience is also within reach. Those trends are more compelling than the
expected trajectory among younger consumers, especially in business. Gen Z has lost a bit of its exuberance as
recently as mid-March, when the pandemic took hold. More than other generations, they’ve regressed to old
patterns.
It’s been a topsy-turvy ride for social media platforms. Some of The Brandon Agency’s clients - such as Fish
Hippie, Heybo, Williams Knife Co., and United Sewing Automation - had to grapple with obstacles, while
capitalizing on opportunities, said Haywood Brandon, an Account Manager with the agency.
“First, paid media became impossible for our face mask client (United Sewing Automation), as social media
platforms banned the advertising of medical materials,” Brandon said. “This caused serious trouble for revenue
and really showed the power Facebook has in generating revenue.”
Lifestyle apparel clients such as Fish Hippie and Heybo faced a different challenge: Sensitivity in a touchy time.
The Brandon Agency paid attention to images used, steering clear of large gatherings and parties, unless it
referred to looking forward to getting together again someday.
“With the initial shutdown, it seemed that traffic on mobile devices increased significantly, as folks had more
time on their hands,” Brandon said. “We saw this as an opportunity to connect with potential customers, so we
began running paid social ads surrounding our sales items to generate more and more conversions.”
Even with economic uncertainty, the strategy yielded results. With the consumers’ attention, Heybo offered
deep discounts (75%), as did Fish Hippie (50%). Fish Hippie earned nearly $30,000 in a single day.
“We used social media’s newfound popularity to market our sales and it was a home run,” Brandon said. A bold
yet sensitive approach - with big sales - resonated with customers.
“The pandemic caused me and my clients to write a few social media posts with caution and do our best to
follow the rules, but to also capitalize on the opportunity to provide a fair deal to those who were willing to buy
discounted items,” Brandon said. “Users really enjoyed the heightened interaction between brands and
consumers and it seemed to allow us to create many new customers along the way.”
Some segments - such as Baby Boomers - are expanding to multiple networks. They rely on standard apps and
sites but have branched out. Brands can discern the tone of their conversations through social listening.
It’s critical in commerce to decipher the needs and wants of this audience. Social media has expanded from sites
and apps to multiplayer video games and videoconferencing. Even real-time collaboration on Google Docs has
brought people together.

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The social media landscape
Facebook, and then YouTube, have the greatest membership in social media worldwide.
Facebook owns the next 3 platforms: Messenger, WhatsApp, and Instagram. WhatsApp has grown but
Instagram has surpassed it. How each responds to misinformation in a year in which information is paramount
shapes public opinion.
Most have been anticipatory. Facebook responded with new privacy controls. Twitter established COVID-19
hubs. Consumers look to large brands as the pulse of a fight against coronavirus and supporters of increased
awareness. Of Facebook users asked in April, 24% in 17 countries said they knew of that platform’s support of
the community during the crisis - 13% said the same on Twitter.
Businesses reported donations of masks, supporting small businesses, and evolving shifts in their operating
models, on social media. Users (77%) saw brand ads that demonstrate their COVID-19 response favorably;
especially what brands are doing for customers. They’re likely to stick with those brands after the crisis.
Consumers visit YouTube most frequently; Instagram and WhatsApp leapfrogged Facebook Messenger in this
trend. Outside of China, internet users who visit Instagram monthly are up 8% since 2019. Since then, 74% of
female Millennials have logged in to the ‘gram. That’s of concern to Facebook and YouTube, who are missing
out on a pivotal demographic.
Facebook still leads in messaging services, with Messenger and WhatsApp, both growing platforms. Apple is
getting in on it, too. Their next update of Message is to include pins, inline replies, and mentions, mimicking
rival apps. An app with increasing popularity you might not have heard of, Telegram, with a 12% user growth
in the past quarter, is a leader in global apps tracked in the GWI study.
Consumers spending more time online for social purposes present an opportunity to share brand-related
information. And 20% of those who say they’ve shared more lately on private channels recommend brands and
products more often. These platforms are critical to increasing brand reach. After the outbreak, 24% of
WhatsApp users say they’ll not cut time spent on messaging services. Overall, 44% of consumers in 20
countries have increased time on messaging apps since the outbreak.
Now’s the chance for brands to flex on these channels.

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Social media behaviors
A hunger for live content and video pervaded media habits pre-pandemic. Platforms enticed consumers with
standard clips and new formats, such as Facebook Watch and IGTV.
Younger users are happy to attend virtual events. But will they and other generations keep streaming as society
opens up? We know 23% of global consumers intend to watch more videos after COVID-19. Suddenly relevant
players such as Zoom could also give the competition a run for the money. Live-streaming appears here to stay.
Brands have improved tech offerings. Facebook revved up its updates for a live producer streaming platform for
creators. Shopping features Instagram Live and incorporated ads in AGTV videos have emerged. Brands must
provide the tools consumers need for maximum interaction, lest they become irrelevant in the post-pandemic
age.
Solidarity building on social media
Q2 data reveals that some behaviors in the COVID-19 lockdown can become permanent.
The past 2 months, users in the U.S. and U.K. say they’re most connected to others on Facebook, Facebook
Messenger, and YouTube. In times of timely communication, such as environmental threats and civil rights
protests, these spaces foster solidarity.
Each platform has its distinctive tone:
 Facebook. Serious content, news and personal updates
 TikTok. Personal updates, but with funny memes and entertaining video
 Instagram. A melding of the two; news shares, memes, videos, life snapshots
Gaming has emerged as a social media stream. On Facebook alone, more than 700 million people interact with
gaming-related content monthly, indicating that social gaming fosters connections, too. Worldwide, 43% of
gamers play with real-life friends monthly. In China and the Philippines, that rises to 55%.
Video game brands can anticipate valued social interactions to continue as gamers emphasize the connected
experience. Of online gamers, 53% have played more because of coronavirus. Of those, 20% say they’ll keep it
up.

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OBJECTIVES
These are the following objectives inform the research study:
1. To find whether social media acted as a reliable news and information source during the pandemic.
2. To know how many people are independent on social media as their go-to source for news and information

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METHODOLOGY
The descriptive research type has been selected for this research due to the fact descriptive studies attempt to
obtain complete description of the situation. Descriptive research includes the study of an attitude, behavior or
an opinion of the people about a certain issue.
The research approach is quantitative and it will provide deeper insight into the problem. Quantitative research
approach includes statistical data. It is used to find patterns and averages, make predictions, test casual
relationships and generalize results to wider populations.
Quantitative research method approach was used in which structured questionnaire based on the study was
made. Quantitative research method is used because existing research has already done is quantitative in nature.
Data collection
Data will be collected by making a questionnaire and according to the results the graphs will be made.
Data collection is the process of gathering and measuring information ion targeted variables in an established
systematic fashion, which then enables one to answer relevant questions and evaluate outcomes. The data
collection component of research is common to all fields of study including physical and social sciences,
humanities and business. It helps us to collect the main points as gathered information. While methods vary by
indiscipline, the emphasis on ensuring accurate and honest collection remains the same. The goal for all data
collection is to capture quality evidence that then translates to rich data analysis and allows the building of a
convincing and credible answer to questions that have been posed.
Primary data
Data collected first hand in raw form. Data that is collected for a specific purpose. Basically data collected in
raw form directly from a source for a specific purpose, is referred to as primary data.
Examples include:- interviews, questionnaire, etc.
Secondary data
Data collected from sources that have already collected it. Basically it is second hand or ire-used data that is
collected from primary day. I
Examples include: - Data collection from books, Newspaper etc.

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FINDINGS AND ANALYSIS
Data Analysis is done from the questionnaire that was prepared and was distributed among 110 people.
Profile: Survey for the research was conducted in the city, Delhi.
Sample of 102 respondents were collected for the survey. The questionnaire included a segment on the
respondent’s profile as a classification of their demographic factors such as email ids, name, age, profession,
etc.
The questions and the responses are as followed:
102 responses were received from the varied demographic of people.

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People of different age groups and professions who prefer different languages responded and filled the pot with
their views.

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Respondants on an average spend minimum of 2 and maximum of 4 hours on social media, not just for
entertainment but to gain some newsworthy information too.

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Not just Whatsapp, Instagram has also become widely famous among the social media users as a source to gain
information and share their own perspectives.

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Relevancy of social media is at best on average but still a lot of people found it helpful and posted on social
media during the pandemic.

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Even though, people encountered fake news on a daily basis, they received help through social media during the
tough times.

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Not a great percentage of people faced account suspension or received punishment by the government but
unfortunately a small percentage has faced it during the lockdown.

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Respondants believe that the leads that were provided through social media during the pandemic could either be
credible or misleading and 21.8% of respondants unfortunately came across a few immoral people offering aid.

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Majority of people believe that social media helped them during the pandemic and they rated it on an average of
8/10

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CONCLUSION
Majority of people i.e. 85.3% out of the 102 respondents use social media to get their daily news updates and
receive information.
Seniority of people (20.8%) believes that the news and information provided on social media platforms is
relevant scoring it 6/10. Although, 80% of the respondents have a viewpoint that it could either be credible or
misleading.
A great no. of people posted on social media for help and 56% of them received the help they desired. But
78.4% of the respondents came across the fake news and fake leads related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Even
though majority of people received the help, 21.8% faced unethical behavior by the person who was offering
aid.
As the research data suggests, Social media acted as a reliable source of news and information during the
pandemic and majority of people depends upon it as their regular source of news and information since it has
been proven to help them receive information and leads during the pandemic on a steady basis.
By considering how social media could continue to be used as a news source and its potential influence ion
future reporting, it is clear that these online platforms have already contributed to changes in journalistic
practice.
Social media cannot be underestimated because “it can form and change opinions very rapidly”. Therefore,
there is potentially a more substantial role for social media to play – both within the institution and professional
practices of news journalism, and within society as a whole. Social media is a useful tool for traditional news
media, because it helps users find, test and share information. In this way, social media provides an extension to
the role traditional media plays in gathering and disseminating news and information.
This survey is by no means perfect, but it has served its purpose as an attempt to get some semblance of social
media usage among people during the pandemic and their sentiment about the digital shift and the impact of
social media. Admittedly however, there were certain limitations to the study such as sample population and
language barrier.

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9. https://eprints.utas.edu.au/17452/1/Social_Media_as_a_News_Source
10. https://simplymeasured.com/product-social-analytics/#sm.0000ve0ffo3u2fcvsi62iulpu5beq
11. Social media is a resource gold mine for Covid-battered Indians—for better or for worse – QUARTZ
INDIA
12. COVID-19's Impact on Social Media Usage - Eli Pacheco, The Brandon Agency
13. Fake News and Covid-19, A Neverending Saga – The Indian Express
14. Centre asks social media platforms to check COVID-19 misinformation – The Business Today
15. NoactionagainstanyonewhoseeksCovidhelponsocialmediaorcriticisesgovt,SupremeCourttellsCentre–IndiaToday

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