Misinformation in Mainstream Media

The term “fake news” is one that has popped up in much of our contemporary discourse surrounding the media. You might recall hearing the term thrown around by former president Donald Trump a few times during his 2016 presidential campaign and during his time in the White House. It’s a real concern everyday citizens have, especially with the rise of media outlets publishing inflammatory headlines with dubiously sourced information, AI-generated content making it harder to discern fact from fiction, and the removal of X’s, formerly known as Twitter, verification badge. All this to say, there is a legitimate problem in media.

Anthony Adornato’s “Mobile and Social Media Journalism: A Practical Guide” similarly embraces this definition, emphasizing the role of fake news in spreading information intended to influence political views or simply as a joke. The chapter also takes care to reiterate that the term “fake news” is not targeting unintentional errors in journalism because, let’s face it, it happens from time to time. However, more people are realizing that fake news is a much larger issue and that something should be done about it — to which I agree wholeheartedly.

In regard to combating fake news, I believe expanding media literacy is one of the first steps we can take. Including the public in our scope of reporting and being transparent with audiences about what sources we’re using and how we’re going about ethicality can also aid in this. Aside from journalists, tech companies should also be held accountable for handling the spread of misinformation, especially due to the large role social media plays in disseminating information. According to a study conducted by the Pew Research Center, a little under half of U.S. adults reported getting news from social media “often” or “sometimes” in 2021. With the increasing presence of social media in day-to-day life, tech companies play an integral role in promoting truth on their platforms.

More importantly, it is up to the everyday citizen to analyze the type of media they consume and to consume it critically.