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A renowned critic of television, Newton Minow, once termed TV a "vast wasteland". If he could see our media landscape today, he might hold that his assessment was somewhat prophetic, especially as it pertains to the news industry. For the crux of our problem today lies not in the quantity, but rather the quality and ethical underpinnings of news and information delivery.
The notion of an impartial, fair, and balanced press has eroded dramatically in the modern media landscape. The very foundation of journalism – to report the news without prejudice – seems to have been replaced by rhetoric and propaganda. While this very behavior became the critique for media forms in communist countries throughout the Cold War, we seem to have embraced a similar path. The lines between objective news and partisan propaganda are increasingly blurred.
Consider not so many years ago when Walter Cronkite, an iconic US news anchor, was regarded as “the most trusted man in America.” He and his contemporaries served society by delivering unbiased information to the public. Fast forward to today, and we find ourselves in a media circus where trust is at a record low, and the norm is to question the legitimacy and impartiality of news outlets.
The Pew Research Center, known for groundbreaking studies on media-related topics, found in its 2020 report that approximately 75% of Americans believe that the news media tend to favor one side when dealing with political and social issues. This conception pulsates through society, breeding cynicism and doubt. The consequences are far-reaching, as they erode public trust, foster misinformation and disinformation, and destabilize democratic processes.
Some argue that the introduction of the 24-hour news cycle - first introduced by CNN in 1980 - played a significant role in this decay of ethical journalism. The relentless pressure to fill air time and capture viewer attention in an increasingly crowded marketplace can push journalists and news organizations to use polemic approaches, fueling sensationalism at the expense of in-depth reporting.
The traditional filters of journalistic integrity seem to have ceded space to clickable headlines and trending hashtags. Truth-seeking is occasionally supplanted by aimless algorithm-chasing, leading to a race for eyeballs rather than understanding.
However, blaming the 24-hour news cycle alone does little justice to the complex transformation that the media industry has undergone. The digital revolution that fueled the proliferation of news outlets and social media platforms also plays a crucial role.
In the age of smartphones and apps, news consumption has exploded. A report by Reuters Institute confirmed the increasingly digital nature of news consumption, finding that 76% of surveyed adults used online platforms for news in 2021. However, the explosion of digital news has not necessarily been accompanied by an increase in news literacy. The internet provides users with an echo chamber where news often only serves to confirm prior beliefs rather than challenge them. The subsequent homogenization and polarization of viewpoints can lead to a dangerously divided society.
Yet, the landscape is not without hope. An emerging solution is adopting a pluralist approach to news consumption, seeking information from varied sources. Combining national and local news, serious journals, and blogs—left, center, and right—provides an outlook built from multiple perspectives. Furthermore, initiatives that foster media literacy and critical thinking help consumers to navigate a media saturated world with discernment. Encouragingly, Nonprofit organizations like the News Literacy Project and international models like Finland’s media literacy curriculum offer promising ways forward.
Ultimately, the responsibility lies with both media organizations and consumers. Media outlets should strive for more than just high viewer ratings; they should work to regain their role as reliable interpreters of the world. Meanwhile, consumers must play an active role in discerning fact from fiction, seeking multiple perspectives, and demanding quality, unbiased news coverage.
As a society, we must strive for a media-scape that respects and upholds the principles of impartial journalism. This transformation will not be easy, but it’s paramount for the survival of our democratic processes.
In the famous words of Edward R. Murrow, an influential figure in American broadcast journalism, “To be persuasive, we must be believable; to be believable, we must be credible; to be credible, we must be truthful.” The media’s politization is an issue that cuts to the heart of its credibility. For our society to move forward, a positive revolution must echo Murrow’s ethos through every newsroom, every social media post and, above all, each consumer’s discernment.
A well-functioning democracy requires a balanced and impartial source of news. A society misinformed is a society undermined, and an accountable media sector is the vaccine against such a predicament. The time for reform is now.
Sources:
Pew Research Center, 2020. Pew Research Centre
Reuters Institute, 2021. Reuters Institute
News Literacy
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