Where people get their news likely determines their views. Two major news outlets, such as CNN and FOX, may report the same event with drastically contrasting tones. Ever since the phrase "fake news" took off, the media slid down a rabbit hole about what actually is fact and why facts matter at all. Of course, it's been an observable tendency for Americans to ignore reality, possibly by immersing themselves in reality TV shows or nursing one of the many options for addiction. Might the U.S. have an inferiority complex that enables deflections away from the truth? Living in delusion is less scary than facing the facts for many people who know the facts will turn their stomachs or force them to change. Watching the news should simply be an informative endeavor, not a persuasive buffet to nourish one's defense mechanisms. A person requires discernment in order to figure out what's happening in politics today without echoing some sponsored spokesperson's outcry about the new, hot thing to fear/worry. Regardless of party affiliation, widening the scope of news to include opposing opinions or attitudes will provide a reality more weighted in reality. The case for reality is that it combats ignorance. Ignorance leads to all sorts of human shenanigans that cause suffering. I've never met anyone who wants to suffer, but I've met quite a few who convince themselves that they're not. This unwillingness to recognize the facts inhibits healing on individual and national levels.
The future of journalism from an outsider's perspective seems up in the air. Newspaper organizations are dropping like flies which decreases local news knowledge, and social media currently puts users at risk of consuming untrue headlines or being bombarded with whatever is most popular/trending at that moment. Hopefully, dedicated members of the press will not stoop to pandering or bribes. They will have to inform effectively to combat the fear-mongering that is all too common. They will report the facts even if it shines an unfortunate light on someone with an honorable reputation.
The public must raise their standards as well and refuse to be mentally fed the nutritional equivalent of marshmallows. Look at multiple channels, sites, and papers. Read more than the headline or 140-character tweet. You determine what is and isn't fake news, not the news (or some government official being criminally investigated).
2 comments:
I chose to comment on this blog post because when we talked about media and mass media earlier in the semester I was very interested in the topic. The part that interested me the most was when we talked about the different methods that the media uses to control what type of news and other things we see, and how we as readers or watchers determine what is real and what is fake.
I think the overall post is very well written. The questions that you ask really got me to thinking and questioning the news sources that I am using and what I could do differently in my life to make sure I’m getting accurate news sources. I also liked that you added different ideas of how you thought we should handle what our news and media sources put out to us.
I completely agree with your statements about the future of journalism only continuing decline and that leaving us with news that the media wants us to focus on and that most of the news we will see will more than likely be untrue. If I could suggest anything, it would be to maybe have put in the ways that you get you personally get your news and how you make sure the news that you are getting is accurate. I would also suggest adding a source from where you got your information and ideas from. Other than those two small suggestions, I completely agree with everything written in your blog post.
I also agree that the way in which we as a county absorb information is declining. It is hard to understand your own place in society without a stable understanding of the events that occur within and around it. I appreciate the passion in your tone. It feels that you believe in what you write, giving it a new sense of urgency and meaning. Different components of your writing strengthen your argument, though I do have one criticism. I understand that many people do not fully filter and curate their news sources for reliability, but rather than putting a lot of responsibility on the reader, I feel it would've been helpful to hear what sources are available to use. I agree that both readers and news outlets are responsible in that readers do not question what they consume, and that news outlets fear monger. However, I think that it is important to encourage new and upcoming journalists as well as encourage the population as a whole about the importance of truth. Great Post!
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