Report Sample on 21st Century News: A New Media Reality

The 21st century has taught the world that watching the news does not guarantee that the viewers will watch the actual full story that is getting aired on TV. The media industry has grown over time to become one of the most influential industries globally. Digital innovations have changed the way media gets distributed and how human beings consume pieces of information. These, most of the time, come with unforeseen circumstances. Most research done in the last decade has proved that Americans' trust in the media has declined drastically. This conclusion was a result of many media scandals that have gone sour in the media world. The current President of the United States has even shown his contempt, stating that the media houses produce fake news and that the mainstream media are the people's enemy. In addition to this, one journalist stated that ‘the conservative skepticism of the media runs intense' (Harris, 2016).

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

The media has gained access to such information, which has placed most of the journalists in danger. A considerable percentage of this information is about illegal dealings and private information of dangerous and influential people in society with eyes and ears almost everywhere, especially media houses and the police force. As a result, many death threats get issued, and due to fear, only a section of the story gets told, leaving people in darkness or suspense. The moment a little bit of information gets left out, the whole story gets distorted; hence it technically becomes a lie. This situation contributes to people losing their trust in media companies when the cat is eventually out of the bag.

Another reason why viewers are not guaranteed the whole truth from the news is that most media stations are money-minded and give news for fame intending to gain viewers. Most of the news headlines nowadays are misleading and can be termed clickbait. Many journalists will only air what the people want to hear. This action will cause an uproar whereby the station's broadcasts will get many shares and end up trending in social media. Most TV stations report their take on the news rather than the real news. Various stations decide on how to broadcast what they broadcast. An incident may occur, but how different news anchors tell the story is what makes the difference. Many times, what is getting broadcasted is different from the actual truth. This situation is made possible by exaggerations, half-truths, and inaccuracies in the information provided.

Also, politicians and journalists, especially in the United States, work together to benefit each other. They get entwined in a callous circle of manipulation and selfish interest. The journalists overdramatize news headlines, and politicians need to look like they respond to these crises getting broadcasted, hence looking like heroes. The crises are often just joint fabrications and not real crises, and from here, they stage-manage their responses when approached about it (Vanderwicken, 1995). From this, corruption thrives, politicians thrive, journalists thrive, and those who end up in the dark are citizens of a particular nation.

From the above illustrations, it is not utterly wrong to conclude that watching the news does not guarantee them the full and actual story. Until politicians and journalists learn to use their power well and re-evaluate their responsibilities and values, the lies will keep on getting broadcast.

References

Vanderwicken, P. (1995, May 1). Why The News Is Not The Truth. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/1995/05/why-the-news-is-not-the-truth

Harris, M. (2016, June 17). 10 Reasons You Should Stop Watching The News. The Odyssey Online. https://www.theodysseyonline.com/top-10-reasons-stop-watching-news