
One person who should be glad to see the back of 2018 is Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg.
It's fair to say that last year was a catalogue of disasters for the social network with massive data leaks and privacy breaches, fake news and Russian trolls hitting both the headlines and the share price.
So where does that leave us, the users? Well first up, we in the media should be cautious. We've invested much time and effort in nurturing audiences on Facebook but audiences are losing trust, giving up and getting out. Anecdotally, and having trained thousands of journalists and other businesses over the years, I've heard of an increasing number of people shutting down their Facebook accounts. Others readily admit they don't trust it and are using it less often but can't quite #deletefacebook because friends and family are still there and if nothing else, FOMO means they still feel the need to check in from time to time.
Where are they now and which platforms are they using?
Sue Llewellyn, Social Media.
Year of reckoning The question is if people are moving away from Facebook where are they now and which platforms are they using? Well the answer depends on who you're trying to reach. Instagram has continued to see massive growth and user engagement especially with a slightly younger demographic. Instagram Stories are huge, unlike Stories on Facebook where the format just doesn't seem to be taking off no matter how hard Zuckerberg pushes it.
2018 was pretty rosy for Instagram but 2019 could be a year of reckoning for the Facebook-owned behemoth. The founders have left, reportedly unhappy with the relentless Facebookification' of the site. I tend to agree and personally believe this could mark the beginning of a slowdown as feeds and Stories become infested with adverts, quirks of the algorithm and more Snapchat-like features. I also feel that people will begin to wake up to the so-called Influencers' accounts, often with heaps of fake followers, that somehow demean the site with grossly inauthentic sponsored posts.
Social networks are both a boon and a blight Call me a cynic, it goes with the job of being a journalist, but I still love Instagram and still believe you can genuinely nurture and grow a valuable community; it's a bit like Twitter in the early days but you need to be strategic and have a clear plan. Niche and micro-niche works far better than a broad brush approach of sticking anything up there.
But the pendulum has swung from a very open use of social networks to a mass adoption of closed networks like WhatsApp and Telegram and with that comes a whole host of new problems including fake news' and even murder.
So where does that leave us journalists? I have always recommended not putting all your eggs in the Facebook basket and suggest that everyone be far more cautious about personal privacy settings and what you choose to share with any social network. For us, social networks are both a boon and a blight. It's a great way to find new voices, original stories and to reach audiences but if you do one thing this year, it's polish up your verification skills and keep your eyes open. Watch how people are using social media, how behaviour and use of technology is changing and be flexible; be prepared to adapt your strategy, try new things and don't forget to stay curious. Happy New Year!
Journalism Now Thomson Foundations Journalism Now programme is a series of CPD-accredited online interactive courses designed and led by industry experts providing the latest in digital and multimedia skills.
Popular courses
Social Media Strategy
Social Media Newsgathering
Journalism Across Multiple Platform
Sue Llewellyn Digital and social media
Sue specialises in training in digital and social media. A former BBC journalist, she has been voted one of the Top 50 female innovators in digital journalism.
We get around. Explore our project map
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
02/09/2026
Professional and collegiate clubs, leading vendors discuss current trends in stadium production
On. Aug. 12, the 2026 SVG Venues & Teams Summit explored the ev...
02/09/2026
SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater, and Hollywood Park have completed an infrastructure upgrade expanding game presentation and broadcast production capabilities acr...
02/09/2026
Comcast Technology Solutions (CTS) has announced a suite of AI-powered workflow applications for broadcasters, content owners, and operators, built on its Video...
02/09/2026
The North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) and the Association of Professional Wireless Production Technologies (APWPT) have announced a partnership to ...
02/09/2026
Carolina Hurricanes, Anaheim Ducks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Minneso...
02/09/2026
New LED provides enhanced quality control, quicker show prep, detailed productio...
02/09/2026
Combines the Phat Drive with high-voltage valve circuit
The latest pedal from Keeley Electronics combines their popular Phat Mode drive pedal with an all-ne...
02/09/2026
Free version of virtual mixing room plug-in introduced
Lewitt's Space Replicator plug-in provides users with a virtual monitoring environment that aims ...
02/09/2026
Two new mixing & mastering plug-ins revealed
AIR Music Tech have just introduced the Stereophonic Bundle, a pair of processing plug-ins designed to provide ...
02/09/2026
Rohde & Schwarz has achieved initial verification of 3GPP Rel. 17 power-saving f...
02/09/2026
Bilbao - 3rd September 2026 -AgileTV, a leading provider of end-to-end TV and vi...
02/09/2026
Why agentic media supply chains need experience design built around visibility, reversibility and human authority
When AI can generate a functional interface ...
02/09/2026
Six-country survey finds 26% of sports fans frequently unable to determine where...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
KOKKEDAL, DENMARK, SEPTEMBER 1, 2026 DPA Microphones announces its new 6388 CORE Headset Microphone, a high-performance directional headset designed for dema...
02/09/2026
Pliant Technologies will highlight its CrewCom CXD 32CF 32x32 Dante /AES67 Digital Audio Network Interface, a powerful connectivity solution designed to expand ...
02/09/2026
iWedia, a leading provider of software solutions for connected TV devices, today announced two enhancements to Teatro Pulse, its end-to-end TV service operation...
02/09/2026
Signiant, trusted by the media industry for accelerated content movement for more than 20 years, will showcase the latest evolution of the Signiant Platform at ...
02/09/2026
With a contractual agreement to supply a leading UK sports broadcaster with outside broadcast services for 104 football matches per season over the next four ye...
02/09/2026
IBC2026 will put sport firmly at the centre of the global media and entertainment technology conversation with the strongest sports showing in the event's h...
02/09/2026
PTZOptics will bring a hands-on showcase of intelligent video production to IBC2026 (11-14 September, RAI Amsterdam), with demonstrations spanning new camera te...
02/09/2026
OOONA, a global provider of professional management and production tools for the media localization industry, today announced the launch of OOONA Go, a ready-to...
02/09/2026
EON Media will make its European debut at IBC2026 (September 11-14, RAI Amsterdam) in the show's Future Tech Zone (Hall 14.FT5). The company is launching it...
02/09/2026
Frequency, the engine behind many of the worlds leading streaming television channels, will demonstrate at IBC2026 how integrating intelligence throughout chann...
02/09/2026
On-device AI platform gives broadcasters and content creators purpose-built tools for real-time vertical video production and AI-enhanced sports coverage...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
02/09/2026
Next-Generation Freeform Control Surfaces Lay the Foundation for AI-Enabled Media Operations
At IBC2026 (Sept. 11 14, RAI Amsterdam, Stand #1.B73), Imagine Com...
02/09/2026
Friedrichstadt-Palast in Berlin, the world's largest theater stage, has modernized its backstage production infrastructure with a comprehensive Riedel solut...
02/09/2026
Women in Media announces that it will host the two-day Reel/Forward in-person conference devoted to navigating today's production scene. Guests can enjoy pa...
02/09/2026
The expanded partnership brings Teradek's Live Production solutions to New Media AV's European dealer and integrator network, opening new opportunities ...
02/09/2026
QuickLink, a leading provider of award-winning video production and remote guest contribution solutions, announces a major expansion to its award winning Studio...
02/09/2026
BCNEXXT, the developers of the advanced playout platform Vipe, today announced that premium entertainment brand Foxtel has selected Vipe to underpin playout for...
02/09/2026
SubtitleNEXT helps HOT Telecom's subtitling team keep a cool head with reliable QC capabilities
Profuz Digital, global developer of digital media and local...
02/09/2026
Case Study: Mission Digital Strengthens Battery Safety with Safe-ion
As productions become increasingly dependent on battery-powered equipment, the safe storag...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Influenza viruses constantly shapeshift to evade recognition by the immune system. This shapeshifting occurs in critical proteins like hemagglutini...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Clinicians often use a medical test called a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG) to diagnose heart problems, which uses electrodes placed on the chest ...
02/09/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Proteins may look like rigid molecular structures, but inside our c...