Fake News
Introduction
It is not strange to state that the issue of fake news where the media outlets adopt sensationalism to the point of fantasy is not new. This is because the peddling of public lies for financial benefit or political gain is found in most times of history dating back to antiquity; it is in the late 19th-century phenomenon of yellow journalism that it initially appears to reach the widespread outcry and fever pitch of scandal familiar today. This points to the connection between yellow journalism and fake news of the current world. Fake news is a kind of yellow journalism or propaganda that contains deliberate misinformation or hoaxes spread through traditional print and broadcast news media or online social media. Among the motivations for 19th-century newspapers engaging in yellow journalism is similar to today’s fake news- exaggerated news involving shocking headlines gets attention and sells papers, enhancing the sale of ads. The problem of fake news is not a news problem in the United States, and it has been in America since its beginning. There are serious consequences to this kind of journalism.
Fake news is not new, and it has been in America since its beginning. Fake news existed in the world since the glorious days of Rome when Octavious applied false news to get the Roman population of the Republic to despise Mark Antony in 44 BC using short, sharp slogans upon coins in the style of old tweets. The only difference is that fake news today is more shareable due to online media and needs few resources to produce and disseminate. Today, fake news travel six times faster than fact-based news. This is why Fake news is dangerous to readers. In history, media has been applied and misused to shape public opinion. It has been used throughout history for political gain and also a financial benefit. In history, fake news enabled propaganda machines, often pushed harmful political agenda forward, and fabricated reality. Don't use plagiarised sources.Get your custom essay just from $11/page
Fake news, yellow journalism, and other kinds of false information can take on various faces. Fake news can also have a significant impact since information shapes people’s views of the world- people make essential decisions grounded on the information. People form ideas concerning people or situations by getting information. Therefore, when the information people saw on the website is invented, false, exaggerated, or distorted, they can’t make good and informed decisions. Fake news has been around for years; however, the issue of fake news is not a news problem, and the problem is the profound impact fake news poses for the work of public relations professionals.
As mentioned earlier, fake news has been in the United States since its beginning. Fake news has a connection to yellow paper. A silver lining of the history of fake news is yellow journalism and its consequences from civil violence to war. It caused a backlash and sent the public in search of more objective news. American papers started hiring reporters to cover local beats and statehouses, creating a series of trust between local, state, and national reporters and the public. It was until the development of web-generated news that today’s journalistic norms were seriously challenged, and fake news became a powerful force. Yellow journalism has been brought back by digital news.
Like the yellow journalism would do, today’s fake news involves serious consequences, including financial effects or effects on someone’s health. It can also lead to bullying and violence against innocent individuals. False rumors targeting certain people can have significant consequences. Those individuals may be harassed on social media as well as being targeted by insults and threats that sometimes have a real-life impact; for example, what happened in Mexico and India. It is not wise to depend only on information that is not validated circulating on social media to decide whether someone is guilty or n not.
This kind of journalism, both yellow journalism, and fake news can lead to racist ideas. A post can make someone think that Muslims are invading the nation. This can make one angry at the policies of the United States government. It can also make someone maintain racist ideas. Eventually, the person may vote for a political party that promises to close the borders. Another consequence of fake news is fear. People can stop going out since dangerous clowns are circulating in their town. Some people may have insomnia. Consequently, their quality of life may decrease.
Fake news can also lead to democratic impact. This involves people who may vote, for example, vote differently after realizing the Pope endorsed a politician’s candidacy. It is clear that false information had a significant role in the last United States presidential election. This is the reason behind the media speaking so much concerning the fake news phenomenon since this is an essential democratic issue.
This kind of journalism is a method of stirring up and intensifying social conflict. False stories and information that deliberately misleads readers causes growing mistrust among the American people. As a result of fake news, mistrust leads to invincibility, protest over imaginary events, or violence. This can unravel the fabric of American life, turning neighbor against neighbor. Mostly, governments, organizations, and people use fake news for various reasons. Some may use it to intensify social conflict to undermine an individual’s faith in the democratic process and their capability of working collaboratively. They may also apply it to distract people from essential issues so that those issues remain unattended to.
Fake news may make American national conflict more intense. Politically-driven fake news comes from different sources, including foreign governments like Russian Internet Research Agency, American political operations convicting social media users how to vote. There are different sources with different agendas, but they all spread fake news, which poses serious consequences.
Fake news also has serious consequences on health and wellbeing. New technologies are being used to mislead public opinion. The spread of false information poses a threat to individual’s lives, health security, and public health systems in the United States. For example, misinformation concerning vaccination has flourished recently, including in social media, leading to the rise of preventable diseases. Fake news leading to inaccurate information during disease outbreak like Ebola epidemics makes it harder to react efficiently to complicated health crises. There are many fake stories and misleading information connected to medical treatments and significant diseases such as cancer or diabetes. Trusting these fake stories leads to making decisions that may be harmful to one’s health.
Conclusion
In the United States, fake news is not a news problem. Fake news is nothing new since people have long been exposed to propaganda and satirical reporting. They present a substantial risk to people, industries, and government. Fake news has severe consequences, including financial impacts, fear, racist ideas, health issues, democratic impact, bullying, and violence against innocent people. The consequences of fake news are because information shapes people’s views of the world. People make decisions according to the information they receive. This is why presidential elections have been connected to fake news since media houses believe fake news can have a significant impact on people’s decisions. When people receive misleading information that ir politically drove, they will make decisions according to what they obtain from the news. What people need is a way to quickly detect fake news and sources of fake news to prevent the negative consequences of fake news.