Before talking about fake news in class, I didn't know what fake news really was. It is a term thrown out to describe any news people don't like in today's society. However, that is not correct. Fake news, though it shouldn't really be called 'news,' is fake information made to look like real journalism. People often make fake news for politics or money and try to misinform you, possibly pushing an agenda. It is important to fact check news stories, especially if the story is unbelievable or sketchy, or the website just seems a little off.
To help solve the problem of fake news, I can always check my facts and make it easy for others to check my sources. I can bring another journalist with me to have another witness and try to be local. I can write interesting but true news stories so that real news travels faster and find ways to spread it to the world.
Sensationalized news was a new term for me. I knew the general premise of clickbait, but I didn't realize it extended beyond that. Sensationalized news is news that is exaggerated to seem more incredible than it actually is. You can spot sensationalized news, especially clickbait, by a title that is promising a dramatic or shocking story. Typically, the story does not live up to all that the title promised.
As a journalist, I can use this knowledge to prevent myself from accidentally sensationalizing news. I can look through my pieces to make sure they aren't exaggerated and make a title that accurately teases the topic of the article. This way, sensationalized news will not be as much of a problem, at least if I'm the author.
Thursday, December 6, 2018
Media Law Synthesis and Reflection
What is libel? I knew the basics of what libel was before we discussed it, but I didn't realize how complex it could be. I thought, 'yeah, libel. Just don't lie and it won't be a problem.' I learned in class that it was much more complicated than that.
Libel is a written or broadcasted publication of a false statement that damages someone's reputation. It can be a lie from the reporter, or it can be a lie from someone else published by a reporter. However, to prove libel, one must prove that they are identifiable and their reputation was hurt. The statement must be public, and the reporter has to have known the statement was false or not investigated a suspicious claim well enough.
With this new knowledge, I will know how to avoid libel when I may have unintentionally published it before. I will make sure to check any negative statements made about someone and avoid negative claims that I am unsure of.
Before we discussed it in class, I had never heard of the shield law before. The shield law is a law that allows reporters to protect the anonymity of their sources, even if a court subpoenas the information. The shield law's allowances extend to bloggers as well as journalists. In some cases, a reporter may not be allowed to use the shield law. One example of this would be if a reporter witnessed a crime. The courts could make the reporter give details about the criminal, even if the criminal wishes to remain anonymous.
As a reporter, the shield law means I don't have to tell someone who my source was in a scenario where they wish to remain anonymous. This gives me more flexibility as to who I can interview since more people may be willing to share something personal or important as anonymous sources than named sources. However, this does not mean all my sources can be anonymous because that would reflect poorly on my credibility, and that would not be good.
With this new knowledge, I will know how to avoid libel when I may have unintentionally published it before. I will make sure to check any negative statements made about someone and avoid negative claims that I am unsure of.
Before we discussed it in class, I had never heard of the shield law before. The shield law is a law that allows reporters to protect the anonymity of their sources, even if a court subpoenas the information. The shield law's allowances extend to bloggers as well as journalists. In some cases, a reporter may not be allowed to use the shield law. One example of this would be if a reporter witnessed a crime. The courts could make the reporter give details about the criminal, even if the criminal wishes to remain anonymous.
As a reporter, the shield law means I don't have to tell someone who my source was in a scenario where they wish to remain anonymous. This gives me more flexibility as to who I can interview since more people may be willing to share something personal or important as anonymous sources than named sources. However, this does not mean all my sources can be anonymous because that would reflect poorly on my credibility, and that would not be good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)