By Taylor Zeulner | Social Media Editor
On Oct. 17, 2026 at the football game where Texas Christian University and Baylor University played at McLane Stadium, I was asked by a photographer what my role was on game day.
When I told him that I run the social media for The Lariat, he told me, “So you’re the one that has their phone out in front of all the cameras.”
Social media has become a rising form of journalism that communities look to for their information. Social media has the ability to connect people, and with over half of American citizens getting their information from social media, we see its significance.
In 2026, those ages 18 to 29 in the U.S. spend the most amount of time on social media. On top of that, 99% of Americans use social media with Generation Z turning toward YouTube, Facebook and Instagram as the top platforms to gain insight on what is going on in the world.
With that, as social media is rising, journalism must rise with it to keep up.
As social media editor of The Lariat, my job is more than taking videos and photos and posting them to our platforms. Not only do I manage Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok, but I study the analytics of each platform and how we improved or worsened over each week.
I meet with my team weekly, asking how we can coordinate content with events they are covering so I can assist with getting their work out to our audience. I also edit videos, make graphics and partner with local businesses and fellow Baylor-affiliated organizations to create content.
So when I was told that all I do is film content with my phone, I realized how some journalists do not understand the value social media has on releasing information out to the public.
Let’s change that.
Social media is the platform to push out photos and inform viewers what is going on in the world through visual representation. Without social media, photos, stories and headlines do not get out as fast to a mass group of people.
While news outlets ask you to sign up to receive notifications, any social media platform will have news graphics or reporters posting short form videos pushed out into the algorithm. You do not have to ask for information or directly follow a specific platform because it will randomly show up on your feed. As society grows and technology advances, journalists must come to terms that social media is a tool, not a replacement.
If photography is part of the journalism realm, social media plays a crucial role as well. Social media is not taking away the value that journalism holds, but merely emphasizing its importance to get news out to as many people as possible.
