Should Media Outlets Be Allowed To Spread Rumors?

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Every day the news airs and people trust that they hear the truth. Sometimes there are disasters on a national level, and folks want to know what the current situation is. Other times there are regular news updates that the general public wants to listen to and be able to trust that they are accurate. The constant want for trustworthy news can create problems for the people who are eager to find out more because there are no stipulations saying what aired has to be unquestionably truthful. The news media should not be allowed to share rumors because it is detrimental to finding out what is truly going on, using lies and gossip to get more ratings and viewers is not ethical, and sometimes a local station is the only place for local news for a majority of people in rural communities which harms those who have no other choice but to listen, trust, and believe what they hear.
When talking about recent national and international crises, only one has come to mind. In South Korea, the Sewol, not to be confused with the city of Seoul, ferry recently capsized while carrying 476 people, which caused awareness across the globe (Borowiec, Steven. "Hundreds Missing after South Korean Ferry Sinks, Triggering Rescue Effort." Christian Science Monitor 16 Apr. 2014: n. pag. Print.). With this incident, news outlets found information on the story and shared it with the public, but not all that was said was factual. When any one person is on a national or local television station, it is of vital importance to get the real news out to the people who need it. Sharing new updates just to raise false hope or acquire new followers is disrespectful to not only the situation, but to everyone who has been involved with it.
There are more instances of untr...

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Brezina, Timothy, and Herbert E. Phipps. "False News Reports, Folk Devils, And The Role Of Public Officials: Notes On The Social Construction Of Law And Order In The Aftermath Of Hurricane Katrina." Deviant Behavior 31.1 (2010): 97-134. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

"Bogus News Report On Georgian TV Causes Furor." Current Digest Of The Post-Soviet Press 62.11 (2010): 1-5. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

Parry, Lizzie. "Text messages from 'surviving' missing children trapped aboard the sunken South Korean ferry are FAKES, say police." Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 18 Apr. 2014. Web. 12 May 2014. .

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