According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in August, trust in the media has rapidly declined along the partisan spectrum, particularly among Republicans. While 78% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents have "a lot" or "some trust in media from national news organizations, only 43% of Republicans and right-leaning Independents feel the same. More specifically, approximately 58% of overall Americans have at least some trust in the media but tend to trust their local news organizations more than national news organizations.
So why is this?
Over the past few decades, trust in government and media has fluctuated as the political landscape shifted and different social conditions rose. In our current political climate, media bashing, the practice of criticizing the press in an attempt to delegitimize their work and undermine public trust, has become a popular tactic among politicians and some partisan-leaning news organizations. As a result, the war against the fake news narrative has begun. Cornell University defines Fake News as "fabricated information that mimics news media content in form but not in organizational process or intent." Essentially, fake news is intended to deceive people and incite public fear and mass hysteria.
Attacking credible news organizations and journalists under the claim of "fake news" jeopardizes the entire existence of the journalism field. While social media has undoubtedly allowed misinformation to spread at a faster rate than previous years, the Fake News phenomenon is not nearly as prevalent a danger as others may want you to believe.
Fake news stories are intentionally fabricated and often include minimal verifiable facts or sources. Unfortunately, trust in media is large impacted by the person who shared the information and the platform on which it is shared. Therefore, when an individual on social media dislikes the perspective of an article then writes a post claiming it as "fake news" for the entire Internet to see, hundreds of more people are deterred from trusting that source, and the cycle continues.
Over the summer of 2020, many students on social media took it upon themselves to educate their peers on pressing issues such as gun violence, police brutality, and public health during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. While their intentions were positive, many social media users sacrificed content and detailed sources for fun, eye-catching graphics. As a result, many people were not learning the full extent of issues being discussed by news platforms, leading to a spike in performative activism campaigns that were ineffective and often problematic.
How do we fight the narrative?
In order to combat the issue and rebuild one's personal trust in the media, it is essential to practice media literacy. This is the understanding that different people with different experiences construct media and messages, and most media is organized to gain profit and/or power. It is best to read a wide range of sources and opinions and think critically about the information presented when consuming news. Most importantly, if you are unsure of the validity of a source or feel the content may not cover the entire issue, do not share it with others.
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