Alecia Swasy Quoted in Poynter Story The Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism offered insight on the influence of X, former known as Twitter, on the media industry.

By Abby Harlan
October 21, 2025

 

Alecia Swasy, Reynolds Professor of Business Journalism at Washington and Lee University, was recently quoted in an article published in Poynter, a non-profit media institute and newsroom that strives to strengthen media literacy and journalistic integrity around the globe.

The article, titled “Twitter Rewired Journalism in Real Time,” examines the cultural and social impacts that the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, has had on journalists’ identities and the practice of reporting as a whole. The story explores both the positive effects of the site, such as the efficiency in which news is shared and the brands that journalists can develop as users, and the negative effects, like the increased risk of platforming false information and the value of status over credentials.

“If you weren’t first on Twitter, you weren’t first,” said Swasy when discussing the speed and competitive nature of the site’s news sharing. “It became essential that you break the news first on Twitter.”

Swasy was also quoted about the platform’s propensity to create echo chambers, an environment where a person encounters only beliefs or opinions that align with their own.

“There is a danger in that,” said Swasy. “You can’t use it as the all-knowing Oz.”

Swasy has been a member of the W&L faculty since 2016. She previously taught at the University of Illinois and was a research scholar at the University of Missouri. She also worked as a reporter and editor of the Wall Street Journal and the Tampa Bay Times. Swasy holds a Bachelor of Arts in journalism from Pennsylvania State University as well as a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in journalism from the University of Missouri.