The internet is a hub of information. It is easy to access this information and resources by simple looking up a simple topic. How much of this information is actually true? In The New Yorker article “The Things People Say” author Elizabeth Kolbert explains the dangers of believing wholeheartedly the information given to us online. She uses logos to prove that the internet can be biased with information through “group polarization” and a site’s inability to upload contradictory information. She fails however with ethos in her paper because she is hypocritical. Kolbert begins her article with an example of a town hall meeting in Georgetown, Delaware with Mike Castle, a Republican representative. A lady with a baggy full of her personal …show more content…
Many websites are known for being radically one-sided in their news coverage. In “The Things People Say” Kolbert says that left-leaning readers know, for example, that if they go to the Huffington Post or to AlterNet they will find stories that support their view of the world. Right-leaning readers know to go to the Drudge Report or to Newsmax to find stories that fit their preconceptions. This issue is all throughout social media as well. On Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc. you will find this biased information. A lot of times, we click and read things that gravitate towards our thinking and shun the rest of the information that does not. In this sense we become secular to opinions that strengthen our own and disregard all …show more content…
The only facts and statistics given will wholeheartedly support the page. If ,however, the opposing opinion is stated, it usual labeled as idiotic, or stupid. "Young or old, bigoted or tolerant, liberal or conservative—everyone is equally implicated here, since everyone is predisposed to the same, or at least analogous, mental habits and has access to the same technological tools" (Kolbert). This is evident when you read comments on Facebook post, or any post on social media that have opinion based posting. The topic of the Confederate flag is such an issue. Many post and comments, while supporting whether they support or deny the flag, will call their opposers by harsh names and/or insult their
The internet is truly a modern marvel that contains all known information instantly at ones’ fingertips effortlessly. With the rise of the internet American thought has shifted to the point where people assume that all information presented is true. This has led to media outlets posting what their specific audience will read and believe for profit which is also a problem Postman associated with modern television. Ushering in a new age, where the accuracy of information is skewed so it gets attention and goes viral before anyone even checks the facts behind the statement. Television, the internet, and the era of mass media is a devolution of discourse and technology and needs to be reversed by remembering that man invented television and that we need to control it and not let it control
The third article I found is called, “What Happens When The Contentious Confederate Flag Debate Comes To A Sleepy Virginia Town.” Jack Jenkins is the author and the site gives a little bit of background as to what he has written and that is has been a reporter with his work appearing in the Huffington Post. The article was written recently and has reliable quotes from the curator of the museum featured in the article. I chose to use this source because it has in depth coverage on both sides of whether or not to take the confederate flag down in a public space. Both sides have good arguments and it was one of the first articles that I found that showed both sides of the argument and was bias.
The web is a quick way to spread information which, if false, can have di...
After witnessing a hotly contested election and the massive amounts of campaigning done by both parties in effort to inform the public and reach as many voters as possible, one question still remains poignant: Where do we get our information? The myriad landscape that is the media today, can be accessed from almost anywhere, and has, in many ways, entrenched itself in American culture, replacing what used to be standard outlets of information. Television and print news have long dominated the average American household in terms of being used to access information, but new outlets, like the internet and film have grown into major ways in which people learn about what is happening in the world. The emergence of so many varied sources of information, however, and the ever-growing accessibility of unchecked information raises a different question; not so much the source of our information but rather, what is the quality of the information we are getting? Mass media has long had an influence on society and an in depth look at its most popular forms today would most definitely reveal several glaring inequities in the way TV networks, print media, and internet websites communicate information. Many media sources are slanted, one way or another, in their views and coverage of people and events. Everette Dennis once stated that objectivity is what sets apart American mass media from the rest of the world and is one of the most important precepts of American journalism (103). In present times, however, media that provides completely impartial analysis of the facts is either hard to find, or deemed incredible. The fact of the matter is that in a large portion of mass media outlets what is best described as obj...
The internet is our modern source for news media; the importance of the newspaper has not only declined, it is in a sense, obsolete. We now turn to the internet for opinions, news, and entertainment. Even though the way in which we consume information (PBS) has changed, the importance of an unrestricted and watchful media has not changed. (Magleby, Light, & Nemacheck, 2010)
But how can we be sure that the news is not biased? Are we receiving information accurately, with details being simple to understand? After further research on media framing, I’ve come to realize that it is not rare to be someone who is skeptical of the news. In decades before now, media did a better job serving the public interests inside their news stories (Callaghan, 2001, p.186). But now, journalists may mix up facts intentionally and build a different story (Callaghan, 2001, p.184). How can one feel safe after knowing the media changes stories to keep us interested? Boring stories may not keep someone excited or fully interested, but at least people would not be misinformed and can, in a way, better prepare for what they will face outside their
Metzger, M. J. (2010). Making sense of credibility on the web: Models for evaluating online information and recommendations for future research. Journal of the American Society for Information Science and Technology, 58(13), 2078-2091. doi:10.1002/asi.20672
When media and news casting was created, it was to inform the public and present the with the cold, hard facts of the issue at hand. It was never intended to sway the beliefs of others or to focus on showing only one side of the story because that’s what the viewers wanted to hear, however it’s very apparent in today’s media that this is what is taking place. Examples of this occur within almost every piece of news available to the public, but one key example that comes to mind is concerned with the latest presidential
In the January 18th, 2012 New York Times article “The False Ideals of the Web”, Jaron Lanier attempts to take a very difficult issue – one that many view in terms of black or white – and find some middle ground. Unfortunately, what he ends up doing in the article is create an either/or situation, rather than find any middle ground. In the end we are left in the same situation that we started with.
Although Carr’s sources may be highly praised in their field or study, they are not experts in the effects the Internet has on our minds. Bloggers are often very opinionated and do not pose as reliable sources for information. The fact tha...
...of others. In today's society, the Internet is the primary means by which people search for "truth”. Foer tries to point out that in the society based on the truth still cannot always be found.
During the 2016 election, the use of intelligent Twitter bots, targeted advertising, and search engine manipulation affected what Internet users saw on specific platforms and search engines. Links to websites masquerading as reputable sources started appearing on social media sites like Facebook. Stories about the Pope endorsing Donald Trump’s candidacy and Hillary Clinton being indicted for crimes related to her email scandal were shared widely despite being completely made up. “Filter bubbles” and algorithms have been blamed for failing to separate real news from fiction, and researchers have noted an escalation in bias, propaganda, and misinformation online. Together, these factors contribute to increased polarization and hamper the free flow of accurate information that is essential for civil discourse, policy making, and ultimately democracy. A survey conducted by the Pew Research Center towards the end of last year found that 64% of American adults said made-up news stories were causing confusion about the basic facts of current issues and events. Without a common starting point – a set of facts that people with otherwise different viewpoints can agree on – it will be hard to address any of the problems that the world now faces. Kevin Kelly, co-founder Wired magazine stated the challenge succinctly, “[T]truth is no longer dictated by
Now that we are living in an ever changing world, technology is viewed as the most resourceful tool in keeping up with the pace. Without the use of technology, communication would be limited to using mail for delivery and encyclopedias for research. Although technology has improved the way we communicate and find information for research, the information is not always valid. Unfortunately, for those of us who use the internet for shopping, research, or reading articles of personal interest the information is not treated the same as a your magazine or book. While such literature is reviewed by an editorial staff, internet literature or information can be published by anyone. In order to reap the full benefit of having the use of technology for any purpose, there are five basic criteria’s one must keep in mind as an evaluating tool for deciding whether or not the particular website is a reliable source for information.
... (2012) point to the positive factors that the Internet brings to us by offering social networking sites that contribute to the positive well-being of users. Carr (2011) points out the double-sided coin of neuroplasticity. As evidenced by Graham and Metaxas (2003), it is easy for Internet users to fall for inaccurate information, including advertising claims, government misinformation, and propaganda. It would be prudent for schools to focus on teaching students how to accurately conduct Internet searches and identify reliable information. At this time, there may not be an answer as to whether the Internet is dumbing us down. It is important, as with any good thing, to observe moderation.
Malcolm X, a human rights activist, once said, “The media´s the most powerful entity on Earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and the guilty innocent, and that´s power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” Through numerous studies and considerable amount of research, it has become clear that the media has a significant effect on society and its perception. This applies to all topics, but mostly to issues that are difficult for the mass to experience for themselves. For example, our views of government and social institutions are largely based on the medium’s reports, not our own experiences.