The news event I first encountered on social media was the death of George Floyd, which sparked global protests and debates on racial injustice and police brutality. The story, though tragic, became a moment of transformation in the way news is consumed and shared, especially in the context of how social media platforms enabled the rapid spread of information, and in many cases, became the stage for people to participate directly in the conversation. The event serves as a powerful illustration of how communication has evolved from traditional, one-way communication models to more participatory and decentralized models of sharing and discussion. When I first saw the news, it came via a post on Twitter, accompanied by a brief video of George Floyd’s death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. This was not a professionally curated news segment but a user-generated content piece, uploaded by an eyewitness, which immediately went viral. It was the kind of raw, unfiltered information that traditional media outlets, like TV stations or newspapers, would not have typically aired or published in its original form. The authenticity of the video and the immediacy with which it spread marked the first shift from traditional to participatory communication. The next platform I encountered the news on was Facebook. On Facebook, users shared and discussed the video, tagging others to spread awareness. The nature of Facebook allowed for deeper personal engagement—people were not just sharing the event but adding their thoughts, commentary, and emotions in the form of posts, comments, and reactions. Here, the audience was no longer passive but actively engaging with the content. This participatory nature represented a fundamental shift from the traditional communication model, where media outlets control the narrative and the public consumes information in a passive manner. Soon after, the news reached Instagram and TikTok, two platforms popular with younger generations. These platforms focused on visual storytelling, and here the event was shared not just through posts but also through stories, live streams, and challenges. Many influencers, activists, and everyday users began using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter to show solidarity and raise awareness. On Instagram, influencers leveraged their massive followings to spread the message and organize protests in different parts of the world. On TikTok, short videos surfaced showing peaceful protests, chants,