Analyzing Key Issues in Journalism: Trust, Accuracy, and Fake Content

This essay critically appraises contemporary issues in UK journalism. It identifies and analyzes four key issues: lack of trust in journalists due to scandals and ethical concerns, the challenge of balancing web speed with accuracy in online news, the impact of social media and online platforms on the news agenda, and the proliferation of fake content and rumors. The essay explores the interpretations of these issues, emphasizing the need for journalists to provide accurate, relevant information and maintain public trust. The author discusses the outcomes of these issues, highlighting the importance of ethical practices, accurate reporting, and adapting to the evolving media landscape to maintain credibility and serve the public effectively. References from academic journals and books are provided to support the analysis.

Critical Appraisal
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Journalism is referred as the work and distribution of the reports that are based on the events,
ideas, facts and people which are termed as news of the day. Journalism plays an important role in
informing the society about the current happenings (McHugh, 2014). Journalistic media comprises of
television, print, radio, internet and social media etc. There are different types of journalism and all
have distinct kinds of audience. The main journalism which is used in the UK are broadcast,
interactive, investigative, tabloid and yellow journalism. In this essay, it constitutes of four issues with
its outcomes. The four issues are lack of trust with journalists, web speed versus accuracy, drivers of
the news agenda and fake content & rumours.
Description
There are various issues which are faced by the journalist in today's contemporary era. The first
issues which are analysed by me is lack of trust with journalists. Through my acknowledgement, this is
the severe issue which is faced by the UK people also. This is because there are several incidents has
take place through which I have lost the trust with journalism. According to Wasserman (2014)
asserted that the main issues which has lack the trust in journalists and its work is Leveson and phone
hacking (Wasserman, 2014). In this scandal, the editor and private investigator were convicted of
illegal interception of phone messages. I am talking about this issue because the culture, ethics and
practices of the press which have made the current regulatory regime failed. I think it also indicates
that the media misconduct has affect the journalism trust in the people of UK. As per my view, the
second issues can be Web – speed versus accuracy. In this, I evaluated that the internet provides news
when ever we need and where we are demanded. Herbert (2015) stated that online news has already
become a essential in millions of people’s life and this is because of the convenience it provides
(Herbert, 2015). The speed of the web is fast as compared to the other mediums of news. The third
issue is drivers of the news agenda in the social media. I have founded that Google, Facebook, MSN
are the technology which are more preferable by the people of UK. Now the people are more active on
the social networking sites and preferring in online news more than print media that is newspapers. The
last issue is fake content and rumours which are lacking the credible information. However, I contend
that the press is printing and publishing the false news and serving to their customers which is
unethically incorrect. Jensen (2013) argued that this is done because of the enhancement of the market
share and increasing of the profitability in the organization (Jensen, 2013).
Interpretation
Here, above four issues' interpretation will be done. The first issues is all about lack of trust in
the journalists. This is important because people believes in the journalists that is me for the news but
we sometimes bring spicy news or illegal news which guarded the people in the wrong way. On the
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behalf of my perspective, it is similar to the web – speed versus accuracy and fake content and
rumours. This is because in these issues there is irrelevant information as well as as no real facts are
been given to the people. In same way, web speed are needed in the online news but it is useful only
when it is accurate and realistic information are provided to the desired people. Thurman and
Schifferes (2012) explained that the news without any relevancy is nothing, it only a piece of a
frictional story (Thurman and Schifferes, 2012). These can be explored by the advancement of the
technology and new innovation in the news platform. According to my perspectives, the news are
provided on the web should be more accurate as compared to others because there more customers for
the online news.
On the other hand, the another issue is news agenda on which news are reaching every level of
the customers. As per my view, the google is the base of the internet so people is easily reaching to it
for the information. The children to adult all are Facebook lovers and on that platform also viewers is
seeing the news. This issue is different from others because it is only eliminating the print medium but
giving the relevant issues (Wagemans, Witschge and Deuze, 2016). So I considered this as interesting
aspect which are connecting the people from different ends. It can be explained by using the
contemporary theories through its social media factors. Last issue is the fake content and rumours
which is considered as lack of incredible information. In context to this, I assessed that this issue is
relevant in terms of loyalty and accuracy. This is because fake content and rumours will only
misguided the people which is not the duty of the journalists. It is as similar to the other two issues
which are lack of trust and web – speed versus accuracy. In these all issues, the common part is
irrelevant information and misguiding of the people from actual information (Campbell, 2015).
Outcome
Journalism is an essential aspect in informing the society about the current news and
information and make them up to date for the current scenario. By identifying the above stated issues, I
have analysed that I have to make efforts to bring relevant information for the people. In the first
issues, I distinguish that by hacking the phone of some one and making news is an inappropriate and
unethical measures. This type of practises should be avoided and I should work legally and provides
actual information my readers. Through my acceptance, this is the intense issue which is faced by the
UK people also. So I have to focus on writing skills to make the appropriate and important news which
should be useful for the people. Readers are losing their faith in the journalist which is considered as
the major issues (Anderson, 2013). This can be overcome by giving relevant and accurate information
about the incident, situation or events. Second issue which has discussed is web – speed and accuracy.
According to me, there is no doubt that web news reaches more fast then other mediums. But it can be
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critically assessed that the whole focus on the net speed can results into the irrelevant information. On
the website, the impartiality can be done due to the preferred news channel. In this, the journalists only
sees the mediums and accuracy of the net speed not see the information, is it correct or not and
Relevant or not (Thurman and Schifferes, 2012). This will surely influenced my future work because I
will see that the information and news should be correctly interpreted to the viewers. I will make sure
to provide actual facts and figures to my readers on the accurate time.
In addition to this, the third issue is the news agenda drivers which are done on the online basis.
There are various platforms such as Google, Facebook, MSN etc. in which viewers are reading our
news and choosing social media as its platform. Through this, print media is declining because it does
not reach to readers all the time or according to their preferences. However, as per the modern era,
people is focussing more on the social media and electronic media such as television, online websites
etc. (Bainbridge, Goc and Tvnan, 2011). So for this, I have to know the key aspect of the people in
which online website they have choose for the news. I will try to make effort to create or investigate
the news accordingly to the readers' choice with respect to content relevancy. Furthermore, the last
challenges is fake content and rumours which is considered as the key aspect of the issues related to the
news. I have learnt from this issues is to provide relevant information to the viewers without any false
requirement. By providing fake news and gaining sympathy is the illegal as well as unethical aspect of
the journalism (Phillips, 2014). I will try to avoid the rumours and fake content so only correct
information should be reached to the readers. To misguide our viewers is not the part of journalism. I
have to present the new image to the society which only provide appropriate and ethical news to their
readers in a ethical and legal way.
It is concluded that journalism and journalist plays an important role in providing information
and news to the people. There are different mediums through which news can be reached to their
readers and viewers. In this essay, the four issues has been described with its importance and to
overcome with these challenges. Moreover, it only evaluated that in rising of the profitability of the
organization and to take advantages from that journalists is providing fake news to the people by
attracting by some unethical information. These issues will only overcome by the efforts of the
journalists.
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REFERENCES
Journals and Books
McHugh, S., 2014. Teaching literary journalism: Journalism fermented with life experience: theory
into practice in a literary journalism classroom. Current Narratives. 1(4). pp.38-45.
Wasserman, H., 2014. Global journalism: Theory and practice. Ecquid Novi: African Journalism
Studies. 35(3). pp.131-133.
Herbert, J., 2015. Journalism in the Digital Age: Theory and practice for broadcast, print and online
media. CRC Press.
Jensen, K.B. ed., 2013. A handbook of media and communication research: Qualitative and
quantitative methodologies. Routledge.
Thurman, N. and Schifferes, S., 2012. The future of personalization at news websites: lessons from a
longitudinal study. Journalism Studies. 13(5-6). pp.775-790.
Wagemans, A., Witschge, T. and Deuze, M., 2016. Ideology as Resource in Entrepreneurial Journalism:
The French online news startup Mediapart. Journalism Practice. 10(2). pp.160-177.
Campbell, V., 2015. Theorizing citizenship in citizen journalism. Digital Journalism. 3(5). pp.704-719.
Anderson, C.W., 2013. Towards a sociology of computational and algorithmic journalism. New Media
& Society. 15(7). pp.1005-1021.
Phillips, A., 2014. Journalism in context: practice and theory for the digital age. Routledge.
Online
Bainbridge, J. Goc, N. and Tvnan, L., 2011. Media& journalism second edition. [Online]. Available
through: <http://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/23235/2/23235_Tynan_2011_Front_pages.pdf>. [Accessed
on 20th April 2016].
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