Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
The negative impact of fake news
The credibility of newspapers, television news and online news
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: The negative impact of fake news
Why fake news is credible for people Fake news otherwise known as hoax news is the term given to information that is false and which has been published in the guise of being authentic news. Websites and channels that post this kind of news push the news with the aim of misleading consumers. Fake news is known to spread in social media and through the use of word of mouth. Communication analysts are of the opinion that fake news is ‘stuff that is made-up ‘The news is well tailored and skillfully manipulated to appear like news that is credible, but which get to be identified as hoax news later on (Allcott & Gentzkow, 2017). Today people do not get satisfied by watching a single news bulletin. In the world of today, there is so much news out …show more content…
When a lie gets repeated, it gets to appear more plausible to many people. In this world of social media, lies get to spread a lot and in many channels. Since a lie may be repeated in so many places, there is no doubt that it will turn out be true as people will claim that it is true. People get subjected to illusory truth effect no matter of how they know of the subject being discussed. When there is a correction of the fake news with the right information, people will still get to remember the misinformation that was there. This is attributed to the fact that the fake news is more exciting and surprising and the correction that has been made cannot be remembered (Bitecofer, 2018). An expert in psychology at Washington University in St. Louis supported the fact that people tend to hold on to fake news more rather than sticking to what is …show more content…
The report has gone further to look at factors that make people believe in fake news. Peer pressure, the need for people to satisfy their feelings and the repetition of a lie. All these are factors that have been highlighted in the article that make people believe in fake news. Despite the spread of fake news, communication experts believe that there are ways of making people not to believe in fake news. People should be encouraged to look at the source of information. Formal news sources like ABC News and Washington Post rarely have fake news. Readers should be wary of bogus news websites (Peters,2017). Checking the wording on headlines is the other thing that should be looked at by an audience. Many headlines are just ‘clickbait’ to get the attention of readers. When a headline is very outrageous, it should be reconsidered. Through following such steps, then consumers of news will not be lured to fake news and accepting
Another reason why people, especially publishers, might find fake news appealing is from the amount of money they can earn from something that is not true. In the first article, it states, “When you click or share a story, the person or company that created the site gets money. This money comes from advertisers who pay sites based on the number of views their ads get. That’s the point of shocking or outrageous headlines: to get you to click,” (Lewis, 11). This means that, for every outrageous news story that is clicked on, whether it is real or fake, it gets a lot of money. Anyone can become rich from starting a fake news business, and that is what many find appealing about the business. All in all, whether it be the thrill of telling a story, or doing it for the money, there are always people who are interested in the fake news
In his essay, “The Good, The Bad, and The Daily Show,” Jason Zinser explores the vices and virtues of so-called “fake” news programs. “Fake” news, as Zinser explains, are those programs that blend newsworthy events with comedy. By examining The Daily Show, Zinser reveals both positive and negative impacts that “fake” news could have on society. As a result, Zinser concludes that there are benefits as well as potential problems with “fake” news programs but insists that the true challenge is determining the net impact on society. The essay, which first appeared in The Daily Show and Philosophy: Moments of Zen and the Art of Fake News in 2007, challenges experts on both sides of the argument who either claim fake news is for entertainment only or that fake news is an acceptable source for information on current events. On one hand, Zinser uses expert testimonies to support his argument that the end result is a better informed public but on the other, he makes logical arguments enhanced by examples to illustrate the potential impacts “fake” news can have on its viewers and mainstream media.
Have you ever read something on the news that you just couldn’t believe but you knew it had to be true? If you’ve ever read something like that, it was most likely fake news. Fake news is stories that people make up or partly make up to convince the public. “Babysitter Discovers ‘Clown Doll’
The news industry has been known to supply heart wrenching stories from around the world, right to our living rooms. What most people do not know is, how reliable IS Fox news? Considering news is a part of mass media, you would not think any information that makes it on there would be altered in any way- except for length and clarity- but some of the “stories” do get altered, almost to a point where it seems biased and too emotional. The portrayal of information in Fox news relies heavily on ratings, causing them to only display emotional stories and not what should be news worthy.
Through manipulation and lies, media manages to modify objective news into biased news in order to convince the public of what the media wants them to believe. The article, “How the Media Twist the News”, by Sheila Gribben Liaugminas discusses the major influence that news has on readers based on their choice of stories and words. “How the Media Twists the News” has borrowed from multiple other texts such as the books like Public Opinion and Liberty and News, news magazine writers such as Ruderman, and news networks like CBS through Bias, A CBS Insider Exposes How the Media Distort the News and CNN to make her arguments valid and prove that the news is biased and that it does influence readers significantly because of it.
There are some people who just want to be able to get the cold hard facts. For most people it is hard to find a News Network is not all left or right sided. It's critical for the new sources to relay only the facts and not their opinions so that viewers are able to form their own opinions without the pushing of one side. Although it's much easier for people to become comfortable with agreeing with someone of the same beliefs, people also need to understand it's okay and good to form one's own opinion based off different news information that is given and not just the one they are comfortable with. If news channels were to only state facts it would require the viewers think deeper and also force them to come up with their own point of view instead taking somebody else's interpretation of the story.
It is of my judgment that broadcasting stations are fixated on the words, "breaking news." It seems today that any circumstance holds as current breaking news as highlighted by Psychology Today. "News programming uses a hierarchy if it bleeds, it leads. Fear-based news programming has two aims. The first is to grab the viewer's attention. In the news media, this is called the teaser. The second aim is to persuade the viewer that the solution for reducing the identified worry will be in the news story" (If It Bleeds, It Leads: Understanding Fear-Based Media, par. 1, 2011). Our emotions guide us through our anxieties and most of the time, things seem worse than they actually are. All the discussion regarding Mexicans are taking our jobs (PBS NewsHour, 20:48-20:54, 2015), and North Korea missiles heading for the Pacific border of America etc., are all heightened by the kind of media we consume. The intention of news is to inform us of what's occurring around us and possibly suggest solutions to how to cope or resolve them. However, the real question that should be asked of ourselves is, is it sensationalized or real news and does it seek to benefit or instill fear in its audience? Editor of the Atlantic, Molly Ball uses news outlet, The Guardian, in agreement and opens up about how the media is like a cloak of protection for Americans. When the anxiety is high, people crave protection (Ball, par. 9, 2016), therefore concise reasoning is almost
One cure that can be administered by teachers is too simple to provide more information on the subject at hand. Another cure may be to add more sources, therefore, reducing the psychological malfunctions that filters out much of the information by source instead of by integrity (NPR “Fake or Real”). Eli Pariser describes this best “filter bubbles”, in this Ted Talk and states that “lives are being insulated from an opposing viewpoint” that shelter us from alternative opinions. He explains. “Some of these problems that our fellow citizens are having kind of disappear from view without our really even realizing”. The invention of fake news has exposed a much deeper problem that he called a “crisis of authority” (Pariser). When people’s belief systems are hindered in a way that secludes information, as in places such as North Korea, they become hard to correct. Having no alternatives. Most will follow what is being said as truth. Also being stuck in the “information bubbles” online many will not see the true information needed to form an accurate argument (NPR “Fake or Real”). From stories of bad sources and fake news to conspiracies and psychological retraining nothing seems to be worse than just outright deception. This is explained by author Eli Pariser and he lends even more insight to this problem in the Ted Talk, “filter bubbles”, in this
These studies indicate that despite the fake news, alternative facts and post truths, as information seekers we are either not willing or not knowing how to gauge online information credibility.
It's unfortunate how society can not rely on media sources to give the truth about current events happening today. Most people watch or read to find out what is going on in the world, but do not necessarily get the truth, due to some channels either not knowing the whole story or base it off what is being heard and publishing it. Most of the articles/news sources actually say or print false allegations just because the news wants to sell or have viewers watch what some are saying even if it is false information. If people pay attention closely sometimes the truth can be found in it, because some may say the same information. People who watch or read about what goes on everyday in the world tend to believe what is being said since the people
The introduction of the internet to modern society has brought about a new age of information relation. Since there is no longer a need to wait until the next print day, news from all over the world is available at a person’s fingertips within hours or even minutes of the event. With this advent of such easily accessible information, new problems for the news media have also arisen. Aside from potentially losing good economic standing because newspapers are no longer being purchased in the quantities they used to be, the credibility of the information itself is also put into question. No one would argue that credibility of news sources is unimportant, but there is a discrepancy in what takes precedence; economy and speed or getting the information out correctly at the first publishing by taking the time to make sure all facts are checked. The importance of having a system of checks on all information submitted is paramount. People trust what they read and believe it to be so without always questioning. If all information were to not be checked thoroughly, there would be instances where people read an article only for information included to be wrong and they go on believing such information. This can be very dangerous as misinformed people make misinformed decisions. With an increase in errors being made by citizen bloggers and even major publications, many are worried that journalistic ethics and credibility in the news media are being sacrificed in order to maintain swiftness in the news circuit and to retain personal profits. Though getting information to the masses quickly is a major part of the media’s importance, this should not mean that the credibility of that information being presented should be sacrificed for it...
These stories can, therefore, potentially contain misinformation or disinformation that will attract an audience that are like-minded in respect to the source that is giving out the news. Of course, those who share these biased stories do so unintentionally based on their personal values and viewpoints. This, therefore, connects with Frankfurt’s argument, since bullshitting is the unintentional spread of misinformation. Because people believe news sources to be a credible source of information, we are often more inclined to retain deceptive information, and the biases that come along with
Social media is a revolutionary way to connect with friends and family through a single app, much like Facebook. Also allowing the public to be more informed on current events, whether that is an issue in today’s society, all the way to a heartwarming story or a funny video. This sounds amazing and the fact that this type of news outlet is practically new. An issue arises that involves “fake news” and with that comes many opinions on what to do about it. I believe that people browsing these platforms should have a little bit of skepticism behind each story and if the topic truly intrigues someone then they should look into the topic on a reliable resource before passing on the authors misinformation.
With the resources and advances in technology that people have today, information can be sent, received, and sent again instantly with just the push of a button. As Loertscher says, getting rid of fake news “is no simple task anymore, since so many people seem to believe whatever they read on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites (44).” The false news is being pushed out into the open and posted for everyone to read, and by that time, it is pushed somewhere else for even more people to read and share. The sharing is an endless cycle and is hard to disrupt. Even if an article which presents inaccurate information is debunked, the damage to the people’s mindsets and views has already been done. There is no reversing that.
...stence depends upon continued success in furnishing readers and listeners with a wide range of facts,” said reporter Julian Adams. By the public depending on media for information, they are making the media money. Buying newspapers and magazines are compensating those companies. Listening to your local radio station and watching your local news channel is compensating those companies. “Staging (fabrication) or deliberate distortion of news is against public interest,” said writer William B. Ray. Society believes in media and the media believes in the society. So let the society know the real data and what’s important. Knowing what’s important captures the public’s interest rather than knowing what’s fake. Falsifying News is legal meaning the media is allowed to lie to the public. Everyone has their own views on this topic but either way lying to the society is wrong.