Funk, Marcus2016-11-042016-11-042016-122016-10-31December 2http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11875/53In this digital era, there are many channels that have opened for the creation and distribution of information, especially under the moniker of “news.” This new wave of journalism is challenging the traditional gatekeeping role of media, especially at the community newspaper level. This study explores the theory of network gatekeeping in local news through social media, examining the role of editors and users in creating news in their community through the use of Facebook and Twitter. The key feature of this new genre is interaction, with editor using social media to identify and distribute stories through daily monitoring, crowdsourcing, and viral posts, and readers using these channels to read, share, and comment on the news of the day and to set an agenda for public discussion.enCommunity newspapersNetwork gatekeepingSocial mediaNewsFacebookTwitterThesis2016-11-04