False Facts in Media

     Today's news has so many components that make it impossible to know what is accurate and reliable. This is not the fault of journalists. It is the way news is portrayed due to the Internet and its instant access to news. As technology companies rise to the power becoming the leading news sources exceeding ordinary news outlets the trust in the news has dropped. Facebook, CNN, and Fox News have an agenda to create sensationalism and profit.    

 Abortion rights are not part of the Constitution so the Supreme Court wants to return the right to abortion back to each state for jurisdiction. Many people have not read or really listened to what this issue is all about. They see protests and false commentaries so they assume they know the truth behind this issue. People are up in arms. On the news, people are saying that protests and riots will begin again if the justices vote to overturn Roe v Wade. 

   All of this sensational news could be avoided if people could distinguish between propaganda and news. Journalists are not reporting this information. According to The Elements of Journalism, “A lack of clarity about what journalism should be and how to intellectually consume the news has also left both journalists and the public less equipped to cope with the effects of the digital transformation.” 

   The major news outlets feature television hosts as authorities on very important issues facing American citizens. They are not really interested in the facts of the story. They are interested in ratings and sponsors. Many times important details are left out of the report. Sometimes innuendoes are made to sound like facts. Many times listening to these broadcasts a person will hear Russian collusion. What does that even mean? It does sound awful. In the article Americans see Skepticism of News Media as Healthy the author states, “Many Americans remain skeptical toward the news media, questioning not only the quality of journalists’ work but their intentions behind it"  

  News reporting is going through a transitional period. People are craving to hear real news, not opinions. A journalist's first obligation is to the truth. That is something every American needs to hear. A journalist is loyal to the citizens, not major corporations. Journalists must present the news in a way that is comprehensive and proportional avoiding personal agendas and sensationalism. As the reading states the question about whether or not news will survive, ”As a source of independent and trustworthy information or will it give way to a system of self-interested propaganda, of citizens consuming information in narrow channels of filter bubbles, where disinformation and false claims we want to believe are more likely to flourish.” Let’s return to honest journalism.