fj206516@ohio.edu
As we move into the future, it seems like some journalism outlets are becoming less and less formal. BuzzFeed is an example of this: they often write with a goal to entertain instead of being informative. This is BuzzFeed's brand and they do their job well -- they found a niche in giving young readers relatable and easy-to-read content. BuzzFeed has also recently decided to no longer correct errors on their popular posts. I can understand the logic behind this, as it adds a human layer to their stories and shows that no one, not even journalists, are perfect. However, if other publications were to stop correcting errors, it could fuel the "fake news" fire.
"Fake news" has become a common phrase in President Donald Trump's vocabulary since he was elected in 2016. This phrase has created a false distrust in the media (by those who choose to believe the word of Trump over the word of news outlets like the New York Times). If more newspapers started to forgo making corrections on their stories, it could hurt the journalism field's credibility even more. The term "fake news" could disappear after Trump's term is over, and it may not matter anymore, but right now I think corrections are something newspapers should continue to do and be open about.
A "track changes" button could be the future of news corrections -- it would allow news outlets to be more transparent and show multiple corrections to a story in a more cohesive way. Most of the time, newspapers don't put explanations for correcting errors that aren't errors of fact. A "track changes" option would allow the public to see every correction made and, if applicable, why it was made. Now is a time when journalists have to be as transparent as possible to not risk losing credibility.
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