Main Stream Media or Fake News Media?
In this post-modern society there are three main types of news media: Print media, Broadcast media, and the Internet. Broadcast Media can be either just audio or audio with visual component- Radio or Television. While Print media uses physical objects like newspapers & magazines Internet media comprises of virtual objects- websites, blogs, social media, etc.
Free and independent press play an integral and vital role in a democratic society. Journalism is considered to be the 4th branch of Government. In a check and balance system, the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary independently check each other to identify and to correct any excess. Free press act as a watchdog of the three branches of government holding them accountable for their actions and exposes scandals and corruption. Freedom of press comes with a huge responsibility of providing the public with right and unbiased information, so that they may make informed decisions. Even though the print media often sets the agenda or choose the dominating news stories, the broadcast and internet media give constant updates on the stories, which makes them more popular with the audience.
For the major part news stories are provided to various media by news agencies like AP or Reuters. Every news outlet gets basically the same reports from the agencies. Some newspapers or TV Channels may have their own news bureaus in major news centers. Some use press pool instead. Print media, especially the nation’s top newspapers, always tries to hold the news reporting to a higher standard by reporting accurate and un-fabricated stories. Before they print a story they independently verify the accuracy from multiple sources.
Radio and TV channels using the public airwaves or cable are regulated by Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC can impose fines and may revoke licenses of TV and Radio stations for willfully reporting false or inaccurate stories and for distorting news. And, also, for broadcasting indecent or obscene material. Reputable broadcast TV channels and Cable News Channels have their own mechanisms to filter out false information.
News broadcasts have a news component and a commentary component. Reporting objective facts is the news component. That part may be without bias. But expressing an opinion, the news analysis and a panel discussion may be very partisan and biased based on the show or anchor.
Lately there is a push from some politicians and from their supporters to discredit main stream media. Failure of the Main Stream Media (MSM) to predict the election of Trump as US president was a major reason for the public to loose trust. Also, Brexit in UK was also not accurately anticipated by the media. PR companies and propaganda machines are working overtime on social media platforms to discredit MSM. Social Media gave raise to self-manufacturing and distributing “news”. These social media outfits exist outside conventional journalistic principles. And when that fabricated news gets audience they gain traction with likes and shares. This creates an atmosphere of alternate reality and establishes a misinformed bunch of blind followers who live and feed regularly on the conspiracy theories and false narratives. There are many in social media who like to post outrageous materials to attract traffic to their sites to generate revenue. They use fake news as clickbait to hook unsuspecting social media browsers and would make money on each clicks. And the public have a hard time in distinguishing between fake news and truth.
– Next Article ”How To Identify False News”
Comments are closed.