In light of the most recent Presidential Election, there has been a huge controversy about “real” and “fake” news in the media. One of the biggest fake news stories, Obama Signs Executive Order Banning The Pledge Of Allegiance In Schools Nationwide, received more than 2.1 million shares on Facebook. Fake news refers to the publishing of false information, that lacks credibility in an attempt to mislead readers and spread misinformation. In contrast, real news refers to the publishing of information that consists of facts, combined using accurate and relevant news sources in order to provide readers with trustworthy information. The aim of this research paper is to analyze two stories, in an attempt to evaluate and distinguish them as “real” …show more content…
It contains information about the source and CEO, Dr. Paul Horner. Paul Horner is not actually the CEO of ABC News, he is an internet satirist and creator of several fake news hoaxes such as, The National Report, World News Daily Report, Empire News etc. The real President of ABC News is James Goldston. In comparison, the article In Face of Trump’s Order, Some Muslim Nations Are Conspicuously Silent, can be considered to be reliable. It is sourced from The New York Times, which is an extremely reputable source of information and one of the biggest news sources in the media. Therefore, the source of information plays a significant role in contributing to the credibility of …show more content…
The fake article provides a phone number, which it claims is an “Obama administration hotline,” however, it is actually the number of the Westbro Baptist Church that is known for its anti-gay views and protests. Another interesting point of evaluation in the information provided in the published story is in the executive order number 13738. An executive order with that number, does exist, however, it pertains to labor laws and the federal government’s use of private contractors, it has nothing to do with the pledge of allegiance. Evidently, this news article hasn’t been fact-checked and provides its readers with incorrect information. The journalist, Jimmy Rustling presents information using links to the sources used, however his sources consist of wikipedia articles and his own hoaxes that are not reliable. Some of the language and quotes used by him also contribute to inaccuracy of the news. “Obama, who founded ISIS by the way, wants them not to be great, he wants them to be weak, and by banning the Pledge of Allegiance in our schools, he has proven that here today.” Journalists usually refrain from using such colloquial language and tend to use more refined and appropriate language. “In fact, a majority of the Islamic State’s victims have been Muslims, many of them shot, burned or beheaded. Among the Muslims who managed to escape Islamic State territory are the
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.
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.
A good part of Outfoxed focuses on the company's blurring of news and commentary, how anchormen and reporters are encouraged to repeatedly use catch-phrases like "some people say..." as a means of editorializing within a supposedly objective news story; how graphics, speculation and false information are repeated over-and-over throughout the broadcast day until it appears to become fact, and in doing so spreads like a virus and copied on other networks. A PIPA/Knowledge Networks Poll points to glaring, fundamental misconceptions about the news perpetuated upon Fox viewers, versus information received from widely respected news-gathering organizations like NPR and PBS. Asked, for instance, "Has the U.S. found links between Iraq & al-Qaeda?" only 16% of PBS and NPR viewers answered "yes," but a frightening 67% of Fox viewers believed there had.
Before I am completely encapsulated with my emotions (mostly craze) I would like to make two statements whilst my mind remains somewhat stable… somewhat. The first being that several hundred news websites have published their own versions of this article; however, I chose to write about Fox News’ version. The second statement I am going to make is as follows. Fox news is the bane of my entire existence. Thank you.
According to James Madison, “nothing could be more irrational than to give the people power and to withhold from them information, without which power is abused,” suggesting that the people have the right to learn popular information and learn both sides of an issue (Paul and Elder 2). However, in modern society, the media often do not present both sides of an issue and are inclined to often mask information for their personal benefits. Therefore, the people often learn and understand only one aspect of an issue and inevitably lean towards the bias present in that news account. Indubitably, the coverage in the mainstream news media influences the majority through its bias and propaganda, especially its partisan audience, which only appreciates one side of the news story. Thus, even though news networks may claim that their news programs and publications are completely factual and credible, their coverage of news events is politically, commercially, and racially biased.
Amarasingam, Amarnath. The Stewart/Colbert Effect: Essays on the Real Impacts of Fake News. Jefferson, NC: McFarland &,, 2011. Print.
The invalid and biased news complication that has advanced through America in recent Months has been analyzed by authors across the country, displaying their take on the condition of the political world today through a multitude of informational and assertive works of expression. While Glenn McCoy and Stephen Marche appealed accordingly to their respective audiences emotions, Marche is more likely than McCoy to succeed in accomplishing the goal of convincing the democratic party to change their minds concerning the issue of the notorious fake news phenomenon in America. Marches essay touches on the heated interviews between political contras and the way the line between irony and reality has blurred, backing up his argument with statistics
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.
As evident by the graph present, 66% of survey participants felt that areas of politics, immigration and prominent social issues are regularly presented throughout the media in one persistent light, often being quite negative. It can be noted that the highest levels of bias, as reflected by the survey participants, were present through issues of politics and social issues, due mainly by the sensationalised views of media publishers. The area of Politics, especially in US based publications, is largely biased by publishers to project a particular view and shape the minds of readers, all of which was abundantly present throughout the news coverage of the 2017 presidential election, which saw to the coverage of the brutality and negativity of the Trump party and downfall of the exposure of these issues at the hands of sensationalised views of publishers. Similarly, strong social issues (feminism, sexism and homophobia) are frequently undermined by the spread of ignorance and misinformation. Feminists are projected as Feminazis, sexism is often remarked as comical and ‘just how things are,’ and homophobia is projected abundantly.
In the article “Facebook’s Problem is More Complicated Than Fake News,” R. Kelly Garrett explores the idea of reading and interpreting information online. The research questions whether posts facebook have a negative effect or not. Although the main focus of his article was about politics and how facebook posts affected the latest American presidential election, it also raised questions about our relationship with social media and the news. Garrett voices his concern about the reliability of the news that is posted on facebook considering the large amount of people that put trust in it. His research regarding the software on facebook (and possibly other social media sites) describes the way in which our home feeds are filtered so that articles
From the beginning days of the printing press to the always evolving internet of present day, the media has greatly evolved and changed over the years. No one can possibly overstate the influential power of the new media of television on the rest of the industry. Television continues to influence the media, which recently an era of comedic television shows that specialize in providing “fake news” has captivated. The groundbreaking The Daily Show with Jon Stewart and its spin-off The Colbert Report have successfully attracted the youth demographic and have become the new era’s leading political news source. By parodying news companies and satirizing the government, “fake news” has affected the media, the government, and its audience in such a way that Bill Moyers has claimed “you simply can’t understand American politics in the new millennium without The Daily Show,” that started it all (PBS).
[1] This data shows how easy it is to spread the fake news and reach out to more people by publishing these news on social media. These news not only spread false knowledge but also create a sense of fear or confidence about things that are not true at all. Acquiring little or no knowledge from these
In today’s society there is a lot of controversy about how blogs and news are getting passed around there are no more newspapers being purchased at coffee shops, or delivered to your house. This has been caused by the increase in technology and smartphones taking over the lives of millions of us Americans. People are realizing that political blogs, Twitter, and YouTube are posing a threat to regular journalism. These forms of media are going to ruin the way people see most things on the news and it could be fake. Due to the rise in blogs and social media it will make people become more susceptible to news that’s not real.
Another study led by Craig Silverman, a researcher in Digital Journalism at Columbia University too pointed out that journalists can frequently promote misinformation to increase the media and social engagements. Second claim of Article 19 tackled that facts and opinions aren’t easily separated from each other and that banning false news will result in two issues. First issue: The only opinions that will be reported will be only those favored by the authorities and that works inconsistently with democracy. Second issue: Banning false news violates the freedom of speech and expression.
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...