Fast vs True: A Case Study
As most are already aware, this is a beautiful day and age to be living in as almost everyone is connected and has access to an endless stream of information thanks to emerging technologies. Innovations such as the internet have allowed for the freedom for anyone to publish and share information. Despite all of this wonderful stuff, the information that circulates in the media can be distorted and skewed causing rampant false narratives to be spread and enabling things like the fake news phenomenon to occur. In an interview with actor Denzel Washington at an event, a reporter asked him a question regarding the fake news epidemic, to which Washington went on a spiel about how “if you don’t read the newspaper you’re uninformed, if you read it you’re misinformed” and “one of the [long term] effects [of too much information] is the need to be first not even to be true anymore.” As well as, “these days we live in a society where it’s just first, who cares, get it out there.” Here Denzel explains that telling the truth is disregarded these days and now it’s all about just being the first reporters of information to the public, whether or not it is accurate. There is a lot of truth to what Washington is saying, especially when it comes to the topic of information distortion and fake news.
Much of the information that is shared across the scope of the media is profitable. Many media and news organizations operate in a capitalistic mindset. The area of news is a market, and like with any market, there are numerous competitors, all competing against each other for ratings, status, etc. In this sense, it would be safe to assume that the first reporters to share the news and have the most readily available information be seen as a very reliable and efficient source, which is an attractive trait. However the most important thing is not if it’s fast, ready, and efficient, but rather if it’s credible and closest to the truth. Despite the moral implications of this issue, getting the information to the public first regardless of the truth comes with its advantages. Here I shall provide you with a case study of when publishing information before anyone else comes as an advantage.
When news organizations beat other news organizations to the punch, they can use the advantages of first publication in order to instill the belief of a false story amongst the public and thus establish and push their political agendas. For instance, at the University of Delaware, a student reported three items hanging from a tree on campus and said they were nooses, implying that there is the presence of white supremacist groups on campus. This prompted a hate crime investigation by the university to which they discovered that the items hanging from the tree were not nooses, but in fact leftover lanterns that were used for an event the previous night. In another case at Indiana University, students reported of a man wearing a white robe and carrying a whip while purchasing frozen yogurt, believed to be a Klansman. As it turned out, the report was false, because in actuality, the man in the robe is a Franciscan Friar named Father Jude McPeak, who was just out to get some frozen yogurt in his priest gear. In another similar case, which occurred at Bowling Green State University, a student reported on twitter to the head office of the university that there is an active KKK group at Bowling Green and has been active since 1922. The president of the institution clarified that what the student saw were not men dressed as Klansmen but in fact sheets to cover lab equipment. These are just examples of false reports that confuse the truth and push an agenda, in this case that white supremacy is prevalent on university campuses. This is where the advantage of fake news comes into play, it pushes the agenda and spreads the belief of these agendas amongst the public, although this creates unnecessary fear and ignorance of reality.
#RTA902
References:
http://metro.co.uk/2016/04/17/priests-get-sassy-after-being-mistaken-for-kkk-members-5822659/
http://nypost.com/2015/09/23/nooses-found-hanging-from-a-tree-at-university-of-delaware/
