Lately, I have been feeling the need to “pick a bone” with the media outlets in this world. As certain event have been unfolding lately, I have noticed an alarming spike in people believing just about everything they read these days. That my dear reader, frightens me greatly. I’m in general not a big fan of fearmongering.
Tactics and the “Klicks Game”
Let’s be honest, the modern media isn’t always our “BFF” when it comes to accurately stating the facts. Often, media outlets (all over the world) need to be the first at the scene – so to speak. Meaning that they need to be the first one to publish a story. Unfortunately, that very much mean that fact checking and finding reliable sources is not actually high on the list of priorities for them.
Did you know, that above all these media outlets (big or small) rely on the fact to get klicks above all else. It’s very much the “social media” aspect for them as well. Influencers and Content Creators need likes, thumbs up, reach you name it to boost their content and the media needs that in the form of klicks. How does one get these klicks – by being the first one to report that story.
Fearmongering
Another part that is getting to my nerves is the fearmongering aspect of things. We currently face a virus outbreak in this world that is beyond treatment (at this point in terms of a vaccine at least). There are deaths, new infections every day and whilst the situation in one or two countries is at the stage of epidemic it isn’t in every other. The media however is hiking up the stakes because with a No. 1 News Subject – one needs to be very quick to report otherwise you don’t get to be the first one to put it out resulting in less klicks.
So we are speaking of new infections daily that need coverage – but making it a media spectacle, making charts and projections, calling out a state of emergency in the peoples heads even though it isn’t is giving them klicks but the people reading it anxiety to the point where fear takes over.
People’s Perceptions
I’m not here to say that the public is stupid. The public isn’t but we are media blind. We blindly believe that everything the media puts out must be correct. We were raised that way and yes, there are still media outlets that actually take more pride in reporting correctly instead of getting “first klicks”. However, these are fewer and further between these days.
We must pride ourselves and find those media outlets that take care and put out correct information to their best abilities at any point in time. Fake news, fearmongering and all that is not making the situation any better for the public. I know that these badly researched (if at all researched) news and the desired fearmongering is giving these media outlets this growing platform to keep doing what they do. Meanwhile, supermarkets get stormed together with pharmacies and the fear in people is getting bigger as we speak.
Calm and collected
That’s my motto these days. I need to collect the necessary data, read articles from real Doctors and trustworthy media sources – then and only then can I form a valid opinion and look at the situation at hand. From there on, I can decide my options and ideally don’t freak out only to get my mind thrown here there everywhere by the media.
Corrections
Yes, article get corrected – if it tuns out the information was false, they will often change the article. In our digital age, this is very easily done. Just like I can re-edit my blogpost after publishing, the media can change their online articles just as easily. HOWEVER – once it was originally released no one really cares all too much about these corrections because the readers are already onto the next.
We live in a fast-paced world. If your Instagram Picture doesn’t “score” enough likes in the first hour of it’s release, you are a dead beat. The very same principle applies to media these days. If an article doesn’t get the most clicks within an hour of it’s release you haven’t done it right.
So, what I say is – we as a society must change. We allow this to happen and we must change it. Media Outlets are popping up everywhere not caring about factual reporting in a time of need.
In that sense, I employ you to PLEASE always make sure your sourcing news of any kind from reliable media outlets. Don’t just go with headlines or the “top ranking” – dig deeper, find the good sources.
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