“Vice News, a media outlet that has emerged in recent years does an excellent job of attracting young, liberal minded readers.”
In the recent news we have seen acts of terror committed in major cities around the globe. I can distinctly remember the moment when I discovered the atrocities committed on the streets of Paris, acts of terror taken place in complete precision. Both internationals and local Parisians lost their lives to power of evil in what became the worst terrorist act on French soil. Just recently the headlines of major news outlets have been barraged by a major terrorist group, ISIS. In Brussels this week similar acts that unfolded in Paris took place in the Belgian capital. Numerous travelers lost their lives in the airport and metro station where the bombings took place.
No one can take away from how atrocious these acts of evil committed on the innocent were and still are. However, the modern media that we “trust” so dearly is not giving us the full picture. While the attacks in Brussels and Paris are the worst terrorist attacks in Europe to date there have been hundreds of other attacks around the globe. People, innocent people are dying by the hands of disturbed human beings in countries such as; Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria. One specific outbreak of terrorism took place in Ankara, Turkey. Kurdish freedom fighters attacked a convoy of buses killing military personnel and civilians during evening rush hour. At least twenty nine people were killed and another sixty people were injured. The attack, which was carried out by a car bomb, was targeted at military forces, the Kurdistan Freedom Falcons said. One perpetrator died in the attacks.
It is these events that get little to no media coverage. Hundreds of people are dying in these unpublicized events and virtually no one knows. It raises an important question that is debated almost everyday by news followers and journalist alike. Is the media bias? And if they are than what is the deciding factor of what makes the front cover and what makes the weekend edition. It could he the fact that the sources of information that are the most reliable usually come from western countries such as the United States and Europe. Numerous Europeans and United State citizens lost their lives in the attacks in Brussels and Paris, but what about the tourists that lost their lives in Ankara?
In our world today media outlets all have an agenda. Whether that view is liberal, conservative or independent they all have a specific point that they are ingraining in our brain. If you want an internationally focused site you might check out Reuters or Al Jazeera, both esteemed news outlets. Perhaps you are looking for politics and policy, check out Politico, a popular, more conservative website that is dedicated to United State politics. It is these outlets that are providing their readers with factual information, but with that site’s certain twist.
Today’s media is an overload of different outlets, seemingly begging for readers to type in their web address and buy into what they are selling, the news. It might not necessarily be a bad thing but sites like Vice and Buzzfeed are all appealing to a certain crowd, they don’t pay their marketing teams for nothing. From the way a site is designed, all the way to the content being produced. Young, free-minded liberals would rather check out a sight such as Vice rather than read a more conservative news source such as The Wall Street Journal.
As a journalist, I can assure you that none of us set out with aspirations of hiding the truth from the public. This profession is one in line with the images seen in movies: like all self-motivated writers, we want to go out there and make a difference in the world by revealing truth through our natural-born human right to the freedom of speech. And while I’m sure this influence corrupts a few along the way, most journalists do not set out to deliberately mislead people -- it is against our journalistic moral code.
I speak of journalistic intentions because these are the people that make up a significant portion of what society today calls “the media.” With the details of the impending election in full swing, my Newsfeed has been packed with college-age individuals angrily contesting that the media is biased and only works in favor of popular candidates and corporations.
“Corporations such as News Corp have begun using media and technology to their advantage.”
Corporations have gotten smart and begun using media and technology to their advantage. War rooms are part of campaign teams for a reason: solely to monitor the press and image of a candidate and combat any negative press. These sectors work endlessly, running name scans for any mention of their candidate to ensure the words being said work in their favor. However, freedom of speech is still freedom of speech; despite their influence, war rooms cannot force a journalist to change his or her opinion, or rescind an article. Sure, they can use this influence to their advantage, but the article has already been out there, should the writer ultimately choose to pull it. And this isn’t to say that another similar article won't be written, especially if there is reason to write on a topic in the first place. Sure, money and prestige can influence anyone for the right price, and journalists are not immune. But keep in mind that they types of people that become journalists are not ones that typically seek money and fame -- they seek truth, and no one has a passion for revealing it like a writer does.
“Social Media has become a popular outlet for people of all fields to voice their opinions on what is happening around the world, seemingly acting as freelance journalist.”
I am always searching through social media, constantly searching for a possible news break or important information that can better inform me of what is going on in the world. A lot of the time I am constantly bombarded with what I call “Social Media Journalist”. They aren’t affiliated with any big news publication, but they report the news like they are the managing editor of The Boston Globe. Social media has become a popular outlet for people of all fields to voice their opinions on what is happening around the world, seemingly acting as freelance journalist. It raises an important question: Can we trust everything that we see online?
