May 24, 2022
Truth Versus Falsehoods in Visual Communication
In today's news and media-fueled society, there are bound to be some sources and stories that are not altogether truthful. But how prevalent is this?
The idea of "fake news" is not a new one. This concept has been around for quite a long time. However, in the United States, due to the last presidential term and campaign, the term has become normalized and used frequently. Unfortunately, the media has spread falsehoods for much longer than this period.
According to Science Advances, only about 0.15% of all news that Americans encounter per day is considered fake. But does this include visual news as well? Visual communication consists of advertisements, images, videos, interviews, magazines, and more.
Issues with Visual Communication
Using visual aids in communication is an important tool. However, they can be readily manipulated. Techniques for how this is done can be photoshop, or photo manipulation, deepfakes, graphic videos, or hidden cameras.
Does it happen?
There have been instances in which interviews have been faked, quotes have been fabricated, and photos manufactured. This can cause deep mistrust in the news stations and articles that people see. Furthermore, the printing and publishing of graphic videos seriously impacts the world of journalism. This brings to rise the question of ethics and morals and the standards in which they should be met in publishing and news reporting.
Dating apps, social media, and illegitimate reporters manipulate visual media to fuel their own narrative, or sell their product. Other broadcasters change video feeds and interview answers purposely. Video manipulation can be dangerous to the public.
Video Manipulation
Editing and changing a video to further a personal narrative or create chaos leads to extreme consequences. Falsified videos have caused riots, protests, and have hurt people who have done nothing wrong. People and reporters have lost their jobs to lying and changing the facts. According to The Conversation, political or economical driven deepfaked videos are usually used to confuse and manipulate the community.
In order to tell the difference between real and fake, be cautious of the website, and be skeptical. Check for editing, and missing context, look for blurriness and see if there are alternative videos that show different information. Furthermore, as the viewer, you can double check the source that the video came from, and see if it is reputable. All of these techniques can be used to aid in deciphering a video's authenticity.
Graphic deepfake videos that show sensitive topics are highly questioned in today's society. The legality of its ethics is a gray subject. Should these videos of graphic information be allowed to be shown? Additionally, if said videos are faked, they can produce unknown issues, sensitive to the people involved.
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| Photo Source: Science Focus |
Julie, your post poses an important (and still unanswered) question: how does one report on a conspiracy without further stoking its proverbial flames?
ReplyDeleteObviously, simply ignoring a story violates nearly every code of ethics we have studied, but shining a light on a fringe theory unintentionally draws more people to it.
In a post-QAnon world, I fear finding this balance just might be the most imporant task journalists face going forward.