Lets Talk About Trolls...I Mean Trolling

Kaitlyn Shive

ks602813@ohio.edu

The journalism world can be a great thing but also a sneaky thing.

Recently the world of writing headlines has turned into tricking viewers by the click of your mouse. Articles with eye catching, enraging or dramatic headlines grasps readers attention and makes them want to click and read more.

By doing this the reader will more than likely read the whole article (I mean come on now who wouldn't if you just opened it up) and depending on their own beliefs will share the article on social media to their friends and family, either by criticizing or empowering the article.

According to the article "Stop trolling your readers" by the Columbian Journalism Review, it explains how "even if the reader does not read the article, the more it is shared the more publicity it gets and the more it is clicked on." This ultimately gives the the site where it came from more attention.

Photo by http://www.fowllanguagecomics.com/comic/click-bait/

Another aspect in the journalism world that is changing is the way media ethics is transforming.

According to Digital Media Ethics, "The means the means to publish is now in the hands of citizens, while the internet encourages new forms of journalism that are interactive and immediate." 

Personally I agree with this article because I believe journalism should always continue to expand and grow. 

I do think that all forms of journalism should have the same values and ethics to keep it a more organized part of life. The article also quotes "The ethical challenge is to redefine what independent journalism in the public interest means for a media where many new types of journalism are appearing and where basic principles are being challenged" which I think is reasonable and could be effective. 

Basic principles of journalism are indeed being challenged and will continue to be but all in all the ethics and values should stay the same until it really needs to change.