Fake News in the Media

As promised last week, my social media blog for the week will be about the problem with fake news in today’s media. Although I know this is a touchy topic to talk about at this time, I do believe in the importance of media staying authentic for users. Since the beginning of media outlets, their overall goal has always been to gain a following and providing the proper information to maintain the following. The most important part to any relationship between a specific company and the people who utilise their services is trust. Because of the overwhelming amount of news that is fake in today’s media, a large portion of the Newseum in Washington, D.C., was focused on this topic. There were multiple exhibits and sections of the museum that mentioned the rising issue of fake news, especially in the 2016 presidential election.

One of the main outlets where fake news was being spread was Facebook. Fake news articles were popping up frequently on users’ timelines, publicizing news that was not accurate or came from an invalid source. With news being so accessible with the rise of social media, hoaxes and misleading news are now more present than ever. Because of this, the candidates were heavily impacted by the failure of news outlets to offer facts and throughout the campaign, fake news was blamed for some results. These fake news articles were targeting both sides and provided information that was not relative to the campaign. According to a plaque at the museum, over one million people saw a fake news story, which claimed the Pope had endorsed Donald Trump. This is just one example of the numerous articles and posts people saw scrolling through their Facebook feed. Russian hackers were blamed for most of it, but the association of the fake news to American news outlets was created.

Although the fake news that was reported did not come from the major news outlets, the media is now under fire for their reporting. These media outlets were reporting on the fake news for the entirety of the election, but are getting blamed for some of the information. Now, more than ever, news reporters have to make sure the information they are reporting on comes from a credible source. With one wrong report, the media will suffer criticism from people who do not believe they are being honest with their stories. Although I do not want to get political with this blog, it is important to understand the media’s role in reporting. Most news outlets are doing the most to ensure their information is credible and should not get the majority of the blame for this epidemic. These fake news articles began on Facebook, and this is where the problem mostly remained throughout the election. Being an advocate for social media, it saddened me to see the platform being used for fake news, without being stopped. Most people know Facebook is to blame for the misuse of the platform, yet the media is still being scrutinized. I believe credible news reporting is now more important than it has ever been, despite where the fault falls. People also need to learn to check the source they received the information from and try to get more information before making an assumption. Since the election, this topic has been a touchy one and I am no expert on this subject, but I believe it is important for people to understand the role the media now plays. Am I saying the media has been doing a great job about being fair with its reporting since the election? No, but fairness and fakeness are two completely different issues that should not be labeled as the same thing.