The field of journalism is changing.
The internet provides a new medium through which citizens can acquire news. This is largely a positive development, allowing for autonomy in selecting the content one wishes to consume. There are some negatives, though, particularly the fact that anyone with a keyboard and an internet connection can post on the web.
This poses a challenge for trained journalists. It quickly becomes difficult to sift through “fake news” and articles written by actual reporters, a challenge which, given President Trump’s harsh scrutiny of the media, has journalists on edge. Our duty, therefore, is to form a distinction between regular online publications and those posted by journalists.
Cecilia Friend and Jane Singer write that “the distinction between journalism and other forms of publication rests primarily on ethics” (Friend 23). To be sure, a journalist’s code of ethics places him/her at the height of trustworthy sources. There is quite a difference between a post by a known and reputable journalist and a post by some Joe Schmoe. This difference rests in the journalist’s ethical training and his/her mission to inform the public rather than to gain popularity on the internet.
The Onion, an online “news” source, provides an excellent example regarding the distinction between reputable online journalism and common publications. Though The Onion is clearly an organization of satire, posting articles such as “I wouldn’t have invented the piano if I knew that guy from ‘The Godfather’ would get strangled by a piano wire”, it is important to note that this organization is exactly the type of media to watch out for.
Of course, there is little to no harm in humor, and The Onion expressly states that its “news” is simply satirical; the point stands, though, that the internet is a wide open place where anyone can publish anything. In our browsing it is incredibly easy to run into articles by individuals claiming to be journalists when, in fact, they are not.
So my point at large is that online journalism is writhe with challenges and, in an evolving social and political sphere, it is important for journalists to stay true to their ethical roots. After all, ethics are what make us journalists – we’re not in it for fame or humor; we take a vested interest in providing the facts.
Moving forward, reputable online publishers need to form a gap between what constitutes news and fake news. Recognizing the difference is the first step, and websites like Facebook have even made efforts to inform its users what fake news looks like.
Though there is more to the story than just recognition. “Beyond calling out fake news for what it is, we should do more than just curb the spread of fake news, and analyse its content and how it spreads to see beyond the lies” (Song 34). In other words, the story doesn’t stop once we spot fake news. We have to examine it and how it spreads in hopes to shut it down.
References
Friend, Cecilia and Singer, Jane. Online Journalism Ethics: Traditions and Transitions. Print.
Song, Shawn Goh Ze. “Fake news tells more than just lies.” Today (Singapore). 29 Mar. 2017. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.