How Digital Media Outlets Can Prove They're Reliable

Rachel O'Morrow
rm118414@ohio.edu

The word integrity goes hand in hand with the word reliability. Integrity describes the quality of being honest and reliability describes good quality performance and ability to be trusted. Stated in the Los Angeles Times, a recent Ipsos study found that only 10 percent of those surveyed believed the news industry 'acts with integrity'. This is unfortunate; however, there are ways digital media outlets can prove they act with integrity and can be trusted to provide the public with accurate information.

Technology is rapidly changing and millions of people around the world have multiple connected devices such as, smart phones, tablets and laptops. This makes digital media available right at their fingertips. All the digital media platforms seek for readers to engage with their news, but readers want to engage with truth. It's important for digital media to build a positive reputation by correcting mistakes, accurately sourcing facts, and stating when there's not enough information to prove a fact.

Video from YouTube.com

One specific way digital news media can be reliable to readers is by sending alerts for stories that have been updated with more information or when a mistake is corrected. This not only provides the reader with correct news, but it demonstrates that the news outlet is holding themselves accountable for mistakes. Eventually, the digital news outlet would have an increase in loyal consumers. These consumers would then be the ones to share their accurate news across digital platforms.

The SPJ Code of Ethics describes that the media must "acknowledge mistakes and correct them promptly and prominently" and "explain corrections and clarifications carefully and clearly." Although many digital news consumers gather their news from social media, receiving alerts for corrected information from one online news outlet could allow the consumer to completely rely on the news outlet information in the future. This gains trust and a positive relationship between the online news outlet and the consumer.

In my opinion, if a news outlet highlighted their mistake and explained what they did to give me better information I would respect the news outlet more. It demonstrates that the news outlet cares to provide truth to readers and will take responsibility of any negative repercussions for putting out inaccurate information in the first place. 

Taking the step to admit a mistake followed by a correction builds good reputation. These days it's difficult for consumers to know what news is real because of sharing capabilities on social media, as well as digital media making it easy for people to create their own false content. For the news outlet to expose their mistake in a story means that the journalists are continually checking their facts. 

Overall, digital media and news have the power to reduce the lack of trust and reliability consumers have towards the news industry. Digital media provides an ultimate sharing platform for news. So, the news industry must admit when they're wrong to decrease the intake of fake news and in turn, produce generations who won't ever know what reliable, transparent news is.