Social media was once lauded as an antidote to the gatekeepers of mass media, an army of citizen journalists would take on the dominant powers that shape ideas and influence consumers.

That didn't happen. And while citizen journalists in the form of bloggers are around, they tend not to break any original stories. In fact, social media has become a distributor, and an amplifier of mass media, an effect I dubbed SoDOMM, (Social Distribution Of Mass Media).

Mvelase Peppetta, points to Facebook's release of its top 40 shared news stories in 2011:

1. Satellite Photos of Japan, Before and After the Quake and Tsunami (New York Times)
   
   
2. What teachers really want to tell parents (CNN)
   
   
3. No, your zodiac sign hasn't changed (CNN)
   
   
4. Parents, don't dress your girls like tramps (CNN)
   
   
5. (video) - Father Daughter Dance Medley (Yahoo)
   
   
6. At funeral, dog mourns the death of Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan (Yahoo)
   
   
7. You'll freak when you see the new Facebook (CNN)
   
   
8. Dog in Japan stays by the side of ailing friend in the rubble (Yahoo)
   
   
9. Giant crocodile captured alive in Philippines (Yahoo)
   
   
10. New Zodiac Sign Dates: Ophiuchus The 13th Sign? (Huffington Post)
    
    
11. Parents keep child's gender under wraps (Yahoo)
    
    
12. How to Talk to Little Girls (Huffington Post)
    
    
13. Stop Coddling the Super-Rich (New York Times)
    
    
14. Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior (Wall Street Journal)
    
    
15. (video) - Twin Baby Boys Have A Conversation! (Yahoo)
    
    
16. Man robs bank to get medical care in jail (Yahoo)
    
    
17. Why You're Not Married (Huffington Post)
    
    
18. A Sister's Eulogy for Steve Jobs (New York Times)
    
    
19. Ryan Dunn Dead: 'Jackass' Star Dies In Car Crash (Huffington Post)
    
    
20. Scientists warn California could be struck by winter 'superstorm' (Yahoo)
    
    
21. Notes From a Dragon Mom (New York Times)
    
    
22. A Message to Women From a Man: You Are Not "Crazy" (Huffington Post)
    
    
23. Obama's and Bush's effects on the deficit in one graph (Washington Post)
    
    
24. Penn State, my final loss of faith (Washington Post)
    
    
25. Golden-Voiced Homeless Man Captivates Internet (Yahoo)
    
    
26. The most typical face on the planet (Yahoo)
    
    
27. Widespread destruction from Japan earthquake, tsunamis (CNN)
    
    
28. Permissive parents: Curb your brats (CNN)
    
    
29. A father's day wish: Dads, wake the hell up!(CNN)
    
    
30. (video) - Laughing Baby Loves Ripping Paper! (Yahoo)
    
    
31. Epic Cover Letter: How To Get Hired For Your Dream Job (PICTURE) (Huffington Post)
    
    
32. New Zodiac sign dates: Don't switch horoscopes yet (Washington Post)
    
    
33. Things Babies Born in 2011 Will Never Know (Yahoo)
    
    
34. The Psychology of Revenge: Why We Should Stop Celebrating Osama Bin Laden's Death (Huffington Post)
    
    
35. (photo gallery) - 'Where Children Sleep' (New York Times)
    
    
36. Quake moved Japan coast 8 feet, shifted Earth's axis (CNN)
    
    
37. Steve Jobs, Apple founder, dies (CNN)
    
    
38. China's latest craze: dyeing pets to look like other wild animals (CNN)
    
    
39. Grant Hill's Response to Jalen Rose (New York Times)
    
    
40. Steve Jobs's Patents (New York Times)

Please see:

SaturdayPost: McLuhan's Relevance In Today's Media Mess Age...

Some Thoughts On The Social Distribution Of Mass Media...(SoDOMM)