Things to consider with new media

New media refers to the platform that allows individuals to share information with others through technology; in this era, this is achieved through the internet. A video can be sent to a family member on the other side of the country, a blogger can share their deepest thoughts with thousands of followers, or a gif of a cat chasing a laser pointer can send millions worldwide into hysterics.

The people who access new media are the same people who used to read newspapers, listen to radio broadcasts, and watch the news on TV. Each of these platforms served the same purpose: tell people what is happening, when it’s happening, and why they need to know. The media used to be controlled by trained journalists whose job was to objectively report the news as accurately as possible. The people who were formerly known as the audience, however, have put down the newspaper, turned off their TV’s and radios, and are turning to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and countless others to share their own news and see what is news to others.

Publications are often the last thing that people turn to for news these days. Current events are often covered by journalists, published on websites, and then shared on Facebook, where the news is then received by its intended audience. There is no consistency, however, of reliability, and susceptible readers don’t know this. The common knowledge that “one shouldn’t believe what they read on the internet” has been completely disregarded, and people put blind faith into things they read, simply because the site it is published on is strategically created with the exact purpose of giving readers a false sense of trust.

What are audiences looking for?

Not everyone who accesses media does so for staying up to date with the news, be it new media or traditional media (radio, TV, newspapers, etc.). Integrated into publications and broadcasts are cartoons, comics, and other light stories for making people laugh. The Sunday funnies, for example, were the favourite section of the newspaper for many audiences. Their witty jokes and colourful images, in contrast with the serious and sometimes depressing articles in other sections, can comfort people reading the news and remind them that there’s a positive side to everything. It is important for the line to be drawn between fact and fiction, however.

Before the internet, fact and opinion were easily distinguishable. For example, headlines would briefly inform audiences of the relevant truth while columnists would share their opinions on different cultural aspects of society. It was well known that the difference between the work of a journalist and the work of a columnist came down to fact or opinion, so audiences knew whether something was truthful or not. Unfortunately, this practice has been lost in the transition to digital platforms. The internet has facilitated participatory media very well, as anyone with internet access can share their thoughts with others without needing the expensive infrastructure of newspapers. This gave birth to the blogger, where one could say what’s on their mind without consideration towards a publication’s regulations or ethics. And while it isn’t a blogger’s mission to inform audiences of the news, their work is often interpreted as such, neglecting the devoted efforts of journalists.

Another thing that needs to be considered is how much of fact and opinion and entertainment audiences want. While a story can be embellished to be more interesting using bias, some readers wish to be informed of just the facts so they may draw their own conclusions. For example, political cartoons make the news interesting with colourful and silly illustrations. These stories make news more engaging for readers, however they are heavily influenced by the illustrator’s bias. Publications should take this into consideration, and be explicitly clear as to what extent stories are biased and non-biased. An effective way for this to be put into action is to organize stories in different sections, so audiences know exactly where they need to go to find what they are looking for.

What’s the difference?

What needs to happen so some order can be restored in this system is a clear distinction between fact and opinion. Newspapers did this by featuring columns and articles, so there’s no reason why social media sites can’t come up with their own methods for organizing truth and bias.

Writers can also be clear as to what their intent is with their writing. While most stories published were written by human beings with their own interpretation of every story they cover, it is important for these writers to recognize this and treat their writing with this in mind. An effective way for journalists to separate fact from opinion is to take ownership for statements using ‘I’ statements. By being explicit about opinionated views, readers can evaluate information and decide for themselves how they feel about something, instead of being told how they should feel about something. Or, if a writer’s intent is to entertain, this should be obvious, so gullible readers don’t believe completely made up stories.