It is no wonder media consumers are so turned off by the news; calling out Alternative Media Publications

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

Is the press objective? Which news outlet is really fair and balanced, and what does that actually mean? How can reporters set aside their biases and really report the truth?

Last Friday, on my show Simone Jennifer Smith Live, I went over the problems with media that has been documented in great detail by researchers, academicians and journalists themselves. Let’s be real, public confidence in the media is low, it continues to slip, and now it has become possible for anyone to start a news website.

Hearing more than one voice, and tireless sharing of perspectives has many advantages, both to the creator and to their audience. It also poses some serious problems. I decided to present this to the community today, because as someone working within the media space, and who cares a lot about creating a better world, I want people to know the truth so they can make informed decisions.

As much as I respect people for what they do, there is an inherent danger in not raising awareness about misinformation, or opinionated reporting. If we expose mainstream media, we should expose alternative media too; it’s only fair.

It’s not hard to understand why alternative news exists at this point. With the majority of the mainstream media being owned by just five corporations, diverse viewpoints and interpretations of world events have become scarce, hence the ushering in of the alternative news era

Most outlets around the world are serving some sort of corporate or political agenda. You start to see how these biases play out in the representation of certain stories, and even in how frequently they’re covered. Showing certain stories over others, and showing them repeatedly, goes a long way toward shaping public opinion.

This week, I want to not only call out some alternative media sites actions, but also educate our global community on what to stay aware of when reading and watching news in today’s climate.

Exploiting Niche Markets
A lot of alternative sites are driven to make money by exploiting a niche market, not a desire to create change, and so they make low quality websites and content so ads can be placed on their website, or in their paper. When it becomes more about the money, it can at times become less about the truth

Whatever Bleeds, Leads
There is tendency for the press to play up and dwell on stories that are sensational – murders, car crashes, kidnappings, and sex scandals and in the last year, COVID-19.

In a study by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, 80% of the American public said they believe “Journalists chase sensational stories because they think it will sell papers, not because they think it is important news. “

Another 85% of the public believes that “Newspapers frequently over-dramatize some news stories just to sell more papers.” Over 80% believe sensational stories receive lots of news coverage simply because they are exciting, not because they are important. 

It seems like it is more important to be the first to get to a news story. Has journalism gotten to the point that educating media consumers has taken second place?

Oh! Now you are a Journalist
Everywhere you look you will find web journalism, which includes: bloggers, citizen journalists, hyper-local news sites, and even websites for print papers. The Internet, and this pandemic has certainly opened up the world for more people to write whatever they want, but that doesn’t mean all of these sources have the same credibility.

Bloggers, for instance, tend to focus on a niche topic, as do citizen journalists. Because some of these writers do not have training in or necessarily care about the ethics of journalism, their personal bias can come across in what they write.

Click bait has become the way to get people to the article, even though the article may not have relevant, researched information.

Some bloggers and citizen journalists are unbiased and produce great news reports. Likewise, some professional journalists are not objective and lean one way or another on political and social issues.

This is where it becomes an issue; it is now up to readers to decide what is credible and what is not. It is no wonder media consumers are so turned off by the news.

In the name of what is trending
There are some journalism websites that look for the most trendy or viral topic and repost without ever checking to see if the story is true. People then spread this information and nowadays, things can go viral quite easily. This leads to false information about real issues spreading over the web. The very things alternative media expose the mainstream for doing, they are doing themselves.

If you recognize how good alternative websites operate compared to the not so good ones, awesome! You are aware and on the ball. Support those sites!

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