Negative Effects of Social Media on Journalism
We live in a world where we place ourselves on platforms and receive judgment from what we create and present. This creates assumptions and stereotypes that can affect journalism and its reputation. With this, social media allows misinformation to travel as it diminishes journalism values.
Journalism’s Beat
Journalism has created a sense of urgency lately that has left many individuals fearing of a collapse. Journalism has been altered in many different ways whether it be good or bad. Journalism has been the heart of information for decades, and now it is at a standstill due to the impact of social media networks.
News within social media is being referred to as the “cancer of our time.” The relationship between people and their social networks are devastating due to the impact it has had on individuals. “People can not differentiate from fake news and real news.” There is a misunderstanding of concepts that are presented that have no foundation of evidence or truth. Social media is at the consumer's convenience and provide them with what they want to see. It becomes bias in believing social media over true journalist work. This makes edited pieces, articles, and time feel as if they are a waste because they are not receiving the credit and recognition they deserve.
Alex Jones is a controversial figure in his own form. Infowars has created a dilemma throughout Twitter that has produced conspiracy theories as well as fake news. He owns Infowars as it produces absurd news stories every day. Twitter and Periscope have banned Jones and his site from this platform due to his “abusive behavior.” He has also caused controversy on YouTube, Apple, Spotify, and Facebook. Jones used these platforms to exercise his rights. Since he is a well-known individual, his name and platform activities have led people towards the wrong side of the story instead of the journalism side. v
Journalism has been encountering tons of backlash. Thousands of journalism jobs have been cut from mainstream news outlets. Some of the outlets include Buzzfeed, Dallas Morning News, Vice Media, First Look Media, Gannett, and more. During this time of layoffs, Trump tweeted “ Fake News and bad journalism have caused a big downturn.” It is not necessarily “bad journalism” because their connection to the people has been crushed. People find more connection through social media than a real, tangible, reliable news article.
“About two-thirds of American’s get news on social media.” According to Statista.com, there are over 240 million social media users in America alone. This total number decreases to around 160 million. This could be more or less, but the important fact here is that these are misinformed people. Even though most assume that the information they read is inaccurate, they still consume news that can not be trusted. This number will rise drastically due to the rapid disbursement of news on social platforms. Individuals tend to be gullible, they need to be made aware and informed about how to undermine fake news. To end this ordeal, it is better to support local newspapers, tv stations, or subscribe to The New York Times, Washington Post, or other platforms that support journalism.
The Fake News Triangle manipulates information and decreases its values, yet it is viewed or heard from social media networks. It is like when you played telephone as a kid and attempt to relay what was said to the next person. But the outcome almost always comes back to the first person as completely different. News is altered, passed to the next person, and it is believed by everyone. This does no good in showing appreciation to journalism due to the fact that most people stick to social media to receive their news. Instead of a feed from friends and family about everyday life, it tragically turns to a news feed of absolute garbage.
This video represents the way journalism should work. “The internet and all things digital brought a wave of disruptions, that essentially challenges nearly every aspect of what we do.” Social media is used as a weapon to gain profit. It serves as a tool to troll journalism because it is trying to drown out reliable and factual information. It has hurt journalism in the past and now the present, but now, it can change the face of these platforms by being “more critical media consumers.” It can make a more thought out, well-written, and organized article harder to debunk because it is trustworthy and punctual. People will then start to see a difference in publications and style.
Conclusion
Fake news, social media, and journalism have been intertwined with one another for years. The longer they are present within one another, the more, drastic impact it takes on journalism. It generates controversy over what is false and what is the truth. People rely heavily on their social platforms for their news because it is more convenient to do so. This takes away from journalism because sites are not being visited that possess the most accurate and reliable information.
