Please excuse me, I am plagiarizing myself:
Where does the media’s responsibility lie? At what point in the quest for ratings do reporters sacrifice their journalistic integrity for ratings?
According to the Society of Professional Journalists, journalists are supposed to:
- Seek Truth and Report it
- Minimize Harm
- Act Independently
- Be Accountable and Transparent
In minimizing harm, they are supposed to show compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage and avoid indulging lurid curiosity. The daily body count, the constant pandering by some in the media to the fears of the "Right" and of the "Left" gives all journalists a bad name.
“Fake News.” The term is appalling. It’s an insult to our intelligence, yet many of us not only tolerate it, we have co-opted the term into our own vocabulary. Here’s the big secret, “Fake News” does not exist.
Media Bias? Media bias exists. Media bias is the bias of journalists, editors, producers, and publishers within the mass media in the selection of stories and events for reporting and publication and how they are covered. It has existed as long as there has been some form of mass media.
Libel and Slander? Libel and Slander exist. Libel is a published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation. Slander is a spoken version of libel.
And yes, there have been times that media bias has pushed journalists into the realm of libel and slander. But if it happened as often as some of our politicians claimed, then we could effectively sack the First amendment.
Fake News? Fake News does not exist. Fake News is a term made up to attack the coverage of facts and events that were unflattering because they were neither libelous nor slanderous (although they may have potentially biased). The problem is, after saying the term enough times, if even once the veracity of a story is questionable, then all of the stories accused of being “Fake News” are also questionable. It doesn’t matter if later the politician who screamed “Fake News” is later proved to be lying, once even one story is proven to be unreliable – all stories are unreliable.
When reliable news sources and channels are used, and questionable sources are eliminated (OANN, Fox News, Daily Kos, Brietbart, Occupy Democrats), then we can hold our leadership accountable for their statements and accusations of “Fake News.”
Thus, when we have become desensitized by the constant shouting of "Fake News!" by members of the administration and less reputable members of the media, when actual FALSE information is put forward for the sake of power and profit by those same members of the administration and less reputable members of the media we have no one to complain to. We have allowed that cabal to use that term with impunity without calling them on the carpet and without exposing their malignant bias. So now, people believe them when they spout unscientific theories, theories that can and are costing people their lives.
We had a long time to hold them accountable and did nothing. Hold them accountable in November.
No comments:
Post a Comment