st279916@ohio.edu
Many have heard the term "fake news" before, especially after the 2016 United States presidential election. During the 2016 election, "fake news" was being talked about more than ever, with various news reports being proved with falsified information. Often the current president, Donald Trump, has been identified as one who coins the term quite frequently. With this call to attention, alongside social media's prevalence in society, it has been easier to share these articles and posts with mass audiences with a click of a button. I believe the fact that we can share so quickly is a gift, but it can also be used in a negative way by anyone with access to the Internet.
These articles of "fake news" are unethical because they are untruthful, which directly interferes with the first code of the SPJ Code of Ethics: Seek Truth and Report It. Though instead, many users see articles online and put their full trust in the journalists and publication, as they should be able to do. With lack of investigation into credible sources and fact-checking mechanisms, the public is put at a disadvantage when reading their daily news. In today's news age, publications are gaining information at a much faster rate than ever before and are trying to relay that information in a timely manner. With this fast paced news information gathering society, we have to make sure we stop to fact-check our sources and journalists.
We also have to be aware that more engagement equals more money for news publications and broadcasters. If they can gain the attention of the public, with either fake or factually correct news, they are making money from us. This is especially relevant in the field of public relations, where crisis communication efforts are put into full effect when brands are caught in lies that are brought to the public's attention.
Fake news does not only have to be sourced from a direct newsroom, but can be created by members of the public as well. A great example of this is the 2015 Huggies glass shards diaper incident. A mom of a young baby posted a video of what she believed to show glass shards in her Huggies baby wipes. The story caught fire and other parents started sharing videos and pictures of the shiny substances in their baby wipes as well. Huggies had to regain their audiences trust and try to detain the fake rumours being spread online. The company stated that it was in fact not glass shards, and explained that it was a manufacturing issue that rarely happens.
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| https://www.nbcnews.com/business/consumer/huggies-investigating-claims-glass-found-baby-wipes-n413946 |
It is important to use our own time and energy to fact check and understand where the news sources information is coming from. It can be easy to believe the first thing you see online because we are essentially living in echo chambers, being surrounded with the information presented in a point of view that we tend to side with more, rather than being exposed to diverse content. Although we shouldn't feel obligated to take part in investigative fact checking, with the high paced society we are living in, we have to make sure that the information has been investigated and holds ethical standards of journalism.
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