Facebook and the News

I took a close list at my list of Facebook friends today, and (after deleting randoms/people who I can't remember) it has become glaringly apparent that I am friends with all the wrong people! I don't have streaming lists of interesting links or stories, nor am I a member of any groups that provide instant updates with the latest note of interest. None of my good buddies are taking the time to post comments worthy of getting fired for, but are instead finding lonely cows and ugly ducklings in their Farmville app. After reading articles on how to properly interview a source over Facebook and how a reporter brought awareness to fellow alumni through the power of social networking, I have to admit that it made me a bit resentful of this lackluster book of faces that I have amassed over the years.

I had to smack myself in the head after even thinking that though. Just in the past week, even though my friend is no source and I am no reporter, I've had personal access to news just through a simple Facebook chat. My friend Sam lives in the Phillippines, which was hammered hard last weekend, and unfortunately the weather does not seem to be lightening up for long. News stories can show footage and throw out numbers, but they do not always put a relatable face on the actual story. Talking to a wearied Sam on FB, hearing about the trials and tribulations that friends and family must endure while their homes were destroyed, and learning all about the failures of the Filipino government suddenly made something I once viewed as a news story something much more than that. I shared with Sam's outrage, even though I know next to nothing about the government, after hearing that the rescue efforts thus far have been almost solely civilian/volunteer-led efforts. That is completely unacceptable, and sounds infinitely worse than Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina.

I don't mean to use this example of my friend's life potentially being in danger as an opportunity to get on the soap box and preach about why Facebook is great, but with the ensuing panic in the nation, I cannot "simply pick up the phone and check on my friend," nor would I want to pester him with emails, expecting a response with a serious crisis going on. Through the advent of social networking, a quick update here and there keeps me, and other friends informed, and I will say I am glad I have an account for that fact alone. I will continue to keep both Sam, his sister Emiko, and their friends and family in my thoughts.