Years ago facts were less likely to be disputed. Audiences believed scientific evidence, first-person/ witness accounts, evidence-based surveys, reputable studies and authoritative sources. While information came from fewer sources, a higher percentage of information came from reporters who were employed by institutions that created clear lines between opinion and fact. News organizations paid content creators livable wages for this type of vetted information.
Today, all media is being challenged, considered by many to be"fake" and "biased." Even before the pandemic, news organizations could predict the attack on democracy, and the lethal fallout of waning trusted sources of information.
The modern journalist has a heavy responsibility:
- Verify what information is reliable.
- Write/craft/communicate it so people can grasp it and understand how to make sense of it.
- Pursue truth from multiple perspectives from the common good.
In today's media landscape, paid truth-seekers & fact-finders are now in the minority.
Seeking truth in media today takes more work on the part of the consumers, who are increasingly driven to seek out news they agree with - even if it comes from unreliable sources. Social media platforms - fueled by the advertising dollars that once supported journalism - profits from this often insatiable demand for divisive, one-sided flow of information.
DOLLARS AND SENSE
THE BIG QUESTION REMAINS: How do we find a financial viable way to offer ALL CITIZENS access to the tools they need to extract knowledge so they can see beyond the flood of "influencers," unsubstantiated rumors, propaganda, gossip, and unproven allegations that now dominate our media landscape?
Social media algorithms influence how we see the world - whether we like it or not.
WALL STREET JOURNAL: "They also maximized the reach of the incendiary—the attacks, the misinformation, the conspiracy theories. They pushed us further into our own hyperpolarized filter bubbles. “There are bad people doing bad things on the internet—QAnon, white supremacists—it’s not that Facebook, YouTube and other social-media sites allow it on their platform. It’s that they amplify it,” says Hany Farid, a computer science professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The worst-case scenarios are no longer just hypothetical. People are shown things that appeal most to them, they click, they read, they watch, they fall into rabbit holes that reinforce their thoughts and ideas, they connect with like-minded people. They end up in their own personalized version of reality. They end up inside the U.S. Capitol."
As everyday citizens encounter an ever-greater flow of data, they have more need – not less – for suppliers of information dedicated to verifying the news and putting it in context. COVID-19 has shown us that:
- Vetted information was in demand, yet social media platforms overflowed with conspiracy theories and false guidance that turned deadly at times. Divisive politics called into question national health guidance and the early scientific evidence and warnings of COVID's deadly consequences.
- Subscriptions for paid news went up, even in local markets that have been struggling. While news was free as a public service for months, paywalls eventually went back up.
"Why should I pay? I can get all the information I need online."
TRUTH is what drives journalism. The job comes with a responsibility to make sure what you write, publish, broadcast or record is FACTUAL. Journalism also follows ethical codes and a commitment to ALL citizens to seek to present a representative picture of all voices in society - whether they are a "profitable audience" or not.
"Independence is a cornerstone of reliability."
Being impartial: Since the reporter makes decisions - on interviews, sources, demographics and tone - he or she is not considered objective. However, journalistic methods seek out authoritative, objective information. Supporting educational institutions that teach vetting methods and fact-finding is essential to creating both critical consumers and critical producers of media. Journalists - and professionals in all fields - must share the commitment to serve as WATCHDOGS over those whose hold the power and positions that govern and directly affect all citizens.
Why is truth so hard to find? "Why isn't there a reporter at my school board meeting?"
Gone are the days when advertisers and classified revenue helped to cover the costs needed to pay most professional journalists. The present business model of local and most national journalistic organizations calls for subscribers to pay for vetted news. For many consumers, local subscriptions and some national subscriptions are too costly or perceived as unnecessary. Access is limited - to those who can afford to pay. By default, more consumers have no choice but to seek out the most "affordable options."
How do we boost the value of our brand as independent truth-seekers?
There is a great need for advertisers, sponsors or investors to help support us, dropping down the costs for subscribers to access news. The demand for free, trusted information is there, but not the ability to finance it.
BUILDING BRAND: Our biggest source of credibility continues to be ACCURACY, our consistent drive to find, vet and publish information to help people make decisions about their lives. So, how to we build our brand and therefore our worth when truth and accuracy are considered to be subjective?
- Transparency in sources that vet our news. Offer direct access to documented sources. Gone are the days when we hold our cards close to our chests. If someone is arrested, charged and convicted, we provide links to charging documents. If a survey we cite is from a right- or left-leaning group, we say that. If there is a conflict of interest, we own up to it. We need to stay away from phrases like, "officials said," or "Sources close to the investigation" claim...
- GIVE VOICES TO VOICELESS: Continue to report experiences on the frontlines OF SOCIAL JUSTICE AND SOCIAL ISSUES - not just quick-hit news or click bait that brings in revenue. Tackling the universal in human experience that relates to audiences, questions systemic injustices and proposes a solution for the greater good.
- CHARGE for the profile of Lady Gaga or Jennifer Aniston, but deliver FREE news that saves lives - public service stories on help for addiction, mental health, educational resources, etc.
- Widen the pool of truth-seekers: The army of news gatherers must grow beyond "journalists." News for decades has sprouted from places beyond newsrooms, beyond those with a laminated press pass. Create classes - courses in high school and college - to teach the next generation how to see through the bullshit.
- Build a new foundation of truth-seekers and critical consumers - in different fields, empowering them through education, support and ethical standard practices to find and use vetted sources, report without (paid) influence and circulate news for the common good.
"We need more watchdogs and eyes on the ground than current journalism can provide to both monitor government and expose those parts of society suffering in the shadows."
We are already seeing the casualties of an uninformed society.
This is where truth-seekers, experienced reporters, students and innovators must work together. Learning the discipline of verification must be value in all majors and fields. How do we make this increasingly rare product of vetted, helpful and crafted storytelling interesting, relevant and accessible?
For truth to spread, it has to be supported. The obligation in finding and preserving truth must be shared.
Credits:
Created with images by Microgen - "Interviewing businessman on press conference" • REDPIXEL - "Image of flu COVID-19 virus cell. Coronavirus Covid 19 outbreak influenza background." • Jo Panuwat D - "Businessman hand change wooden cube block with TRUST and TRUTH business word on table background. Trustworthy, Truth, beliefs and agreement concept" • Kenishirotie - "True word on missing puzzle with a hand hold a piece of lies word puzzle" • Simon - "The National Capitol Building behind fences and razor wire, Washington DC, March 7th, 2021" • Mat Hayward - "Group of protesters holding a sign "