The Monday poll: Social media and the news from Ferguson

The power of social media to spread instant images and fragments of information has complicated how news is disseminated.

Overall the new media, coupled with the old media, present a kaleidoscopic effect in which viewers are forced to determine what’s really clear and what’s not. Facts, rumors, opinions, images all swirl together in a sea that’s too often lacking context. The world is compressed into slivers that move faster and faster, and news consumers are challenged to choose their own reality.

The news out of Ferguson, Mo., certainly has presented a case study in the complexity and value of social media (see Steven Youngblood’s take on the matter elsewhere on this page).

We want to hear your thoughts. Take this informal survey about social media and the news. Mobile users go here.

This story was originally published August 24, 2014 at 10:00 AM with the headline "The Monday poll: Social media and the news from Ferguson."