My View: Media's role

The term “fake news” has populated numerous headlines and been used as a definition for completely fabricated news stories. In a December 2016 Pew Research Survey, 64 percent of adults said they believe completely made-up news has caused a great deal of confusion about the basic facts of current events, and 23 percent admitted to accidentally or purposefully sharing a made-up news story. In a world where content from countless news sources fills our social media feeds and web browsers, how can we stay informed on current nation- and world-wide events that affect our lives? We talked to former CNN producer and Assistant Professor of Communication Ginger Blackstone about her perspective on fake news and the role of media in America. Fake news. As a longtime journalist and current media researcher, the rhetoric and confusion is disconcerting. According to the Pew Research Center, 64 percent of Americans are greatly confused about the basic facts of current events. So how can you tell when news is believable? First, pay attention to the language of a story. Separate fact from opinion. Is this someone’s interpretation of events? Is someone sharing his or her feelings about how something ought to be? Or is this researched information attributed to a reliable source with facts, figures and data? Is the source nonpartisan? Is it trustworthy? Turn on your inner skeptic. Is there bias? Yes. We’re all biased. A dozen people can witness a car crash, and each one will tell police something different. Are they all lying? Not necessarily. But just as officers interview multiple people, we should seek a variety of reputable perspectives. A theory called the hostile media effect suggests audiences have a tendency to perceive news that corresponds with their beliefs as “objective”; conversely, they perceive news that challenges their beliefs as “biased.” News we don’t like may still be true. Remember that mainstream news operations take their reputation and credibility very seriously, yet mistakes happen. Maybe a trusted source relayed incorrect information. Perhaps a reporter misinterpreted facts from a complicated document. But most of the reporters with whom I worked tried to get it right. Consider that politicians have had an interesting relationship with the press even in the early years of our nation. The forefathers who authored the First Amendment later passed the Sedition Act of 1798, which made it a crime to speak or publish false or malicious statements against the U.S. government. Politicians like transparency as long as journalists report on others’ misdeeds rather than their own. But, if not for journalists, who will weed out corruption among our leaders? This is not a partisan issue but one of holding all of those in power accountable to the people. While President Donald Trump is experiencing a strained relationship with the press, fellow Republican and former President George W. Bush recently held that the media is “important to democracy.” I happen to agree. But that is my opinion …