Skip to main content

"Fake News"

“Fake news.” 

You’ve heard the term before. Whether it comes from the U.S. President or angry Facebook users, its commonly used.  

The 2016 U.S. presidential race saw much divisiveness. In an effort to promote their campaigns and shift the blame on others, candidates pointed fingers at each other, which is much anticipated. What is less anticipated was President Trump’s description of much of the media as “fake news.” 

Trump used the term to refer to outlets such as CNN and MSNBC, those of which featured more liberal political commentators. The term “fake news” quickly became a common phrase during the election and continued into Trump’s presidency. 

During a 2017 press conference, the president told CNN Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta, “Your organization’s terrible,” and “You are fake news." Using the term to refer to stories the president disagreed with, many in the general public now do the same. 

We live in a society where many use the term “fake news” to simply disagree with reported, credible information.  

Don’t get me wrong, “fake news” is definitely a real concern.

23-percent of adults have shared “fake news” on their social media pages, according to the Pew Research Center in 2016. Websites that pose as news outlets publish content all the time, which is concerning.  

People have a hard time depicting “fake news” from honest journalism, meaning journalists must make sure what they are writing is true before publishing content. 

Journalists should verify facts with relevant and reliable sources, talking to only those knowledgeable about a particular subject. 

If a journalist is willing to go out of their way to get correct information and is transparent and willing to make corrections, viewers and readers will notice. Journalists, now more than ever, must be critical of their work.

All of this raises the question: why do I want to go into this industry? Am I fearful of being called fake news?

Well, I have already been called “fake news,” but not because I wasn’t credible. People throw around the term when they don’t like what you’re covering. 

I am not fearful of being called that again because I will never intentionally lead people astray. I will never be fake news, as I practice honest journalism. If I ever slip up, I will make a correction. Simple as that. 

The world needs another generation of honest journalists to ensure the success of our democracy. I want to take part in that. 

Without journalism, people won’t know what’s happening in the world. I want to be a watchdog for the innocent and hold the powerful accountable.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The importance of covering SGA elections

Being a journalist carries a lot of weight. It is my responsibility to communicate important information to the public so people can create be well informed opinions, and then turn around and elect officials to represent them. This applies at the national and local level. Locally, journalists must cover state and city elections. Without this coverage, citizens in smaller areas would likely know nothing about each candidate. For students who aspire to become professional reporters, acquiring the skills necessary to cover these elections is a vital part of becoming a reliable journalist.   For student journalists, this means we must cover the executive officer elections for the school’s governing body, the student government association; as this “local news” is what our college community needs to decide who to support.   Here at Troy University, Troy TrojanVision News has been covering the election process for weeks. We were there at the first SGA exec int...

Don’t be afraid to be a source

Sources! Sources! Sources! Sources are an essential part of creating a news story. Whether it be for radio, television or print, news cannot be reported without them.  So, what exactly is a source? A source is someone who provides a journalist with information. They can be a well-educated, insightful professional who provides detailed facts or simply a citizen sharing their opinion on the topic at hand. The latter is the type of source I am talking about now.  Often times I find myself searching for an average, everyday person to share their thoughts. Whether it be on new legislation, something controversial or even someone’s thoughts on a community service project, people are often reluctant to stand in front of a camera and be interviewed.   I get it, I really do. A camera can be scary for some, and I have to remind myself that not everyone is used to it. I often find myself coaxing people into doing an interview, and people usually commit once the...

Localize it: Coronavirus

Apart of being an effective journalist is localizing stories. What does that mean? It means I examine the impact broad, national or international stories are having on our local communities. Every story must put people first, so by looking at how people are being affected in a smaller community, we understand the real implications of a large newsworthy event.  The Chinese Coronavirus has made many headlines lately, and rightfully so. CNBC reports that 563 people in China have died so far from the disease, with a confirmed 28,000 cases reported.  The outbreak has been devasting for the people of China, which is why countries are keeping a close eye on international travel to and from the region. People fear the spread of the virus.  How could an outbreak in China be localized? Well, now it’s in the United States. As of Wednesday, NBC reports that 12 cases of the disease have been brought into the U.S. This may remind some Americans of the Ebola outbreak that...