Journalists get this question—or lament—all the time from people who think the news offers too much opinion and not enough fact. More than two-thirds of Americans say they see too much opinion and bias in news. Hence the plea, “just stick to the facts.” Here’s the problem: Serving up just the facts can misrepresent the news or even create a false narrative.
Author: Sissel McCarthy
The personalization of news is a permanent feature of our information ecosystem that comes with some benefits and many challenges. News consumers are often overwhelmed by the amount of news they’re exposed to on a daily basis, and news personalization definitely helps by filtering that content. But algorithms that allow news outlets to curate information can lead to a filter bubble, polarization and extreme views.
Not enough. Journalists around the world are targets of both real and online attacks, and impunity for these crimes is on the rise. Look no further than Ukraine to see journalists risking their lives to document Russia’s historic invasion of Europe’s second-largest country. According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 1,000 foreign correspondents have joined the Ukrainian press corps on the ground.
Public trust in facts has been on the decline for about two decades, and it’s taken a toll. Americans no longer agree on a common set of facts. Many can’t tell the difference between a fact and an opinion, and a growing number no longer trust experts or institutions that used to be the source of basic information. These trends together have led to an epistemic crisis known as truth decay.
Press freedom is under attack by a thousand cuts – and not just in the usual countries known for their media censorship.
Journalism Program Director Sissel McCarthy talks about her transition from the newsroom to the classroom, anonymous sources and why a career in journalism is still a worthy calling in this interview with ForeignPress.org.
A reporter who uses anonymous sources has a much heavier lift when it comes to establishing a story’s credibility.
Although transparency has long been a fundamental principle of journalism, the need for a more expansive interpretation of this practice has never been greater.
One of the biggest challenges news consumers face today is distinguishing news from other content. Thanks to native advertising, the lines between news stories and advertising have never been more blurred.
Trust in the news media is in short supply these days. So what can be done to close the trust gap?
