Few people like to doubt our news because we depend on mainstream news outlets to give an unbiased, accurate portrayal of what is happening in the world. Yet, it feels like we cannot expect this small thing from the news. To receive unbiased, accurate news is a breath of fresh air. This doesn’t apply to every mainstream news source, but this trend is beginning to spiral out of control.
What broke my patience and trust in most mainstream media has been the most recent internet scandal regarding YouTube sensation Pewdiepie, also known as Felix Kjelberg. Boasting over 53,000,0000 subscribers, Pewdiepie is known for his gaming videos and comedy bits, which are considered dark and offensive to some. His content is often criticized for his swearing and toilet humor, which is viewed by ages ranging from children to adults. In a recent video, Pewdiepie made an offensive anti-Semetic joke while trying to poke fun at Fivver, a website where users can pay people small fees (typically five dollars) to do something. While intending to poke fun at the ridiculousness of what people will do for five dollars, Pewdiepie paid two young men to hold up a sign, reading “Death to All Jews. Subscribe to Keemstar.” Initially, The Wallstreet Journal criticized Pewdiepie and called him a Nazi, cutting together a series of out-of-context jokes about Nazis into a video, as well as asking Pewdiepie’s management company Disney for a comment. Yes, these jokes are wrong. Pewdiepie himself, has acknowledged the inappropriateness of his jokes and apologized. Yet, news outlets like Buzzfeed and Polygon continue to call out Pewdiepie for his joke, calling his apology “insincere” and his actions representative of a “reciprocal system of validation and a male personality cult.” These articles give the impression that Pewdiepie is corrupting the minds of the young generation, insinuating that people like Pewdiepie are normalizing racism, using biased-filled language to make a point. Even if this is the case, the information presented is decontextualized from its initial source in order to promote a narrative of corruption. Forbes does a much better job in acting as an unbiased source, acknowledging this dark humor type as “shock culture.” Unlike the Buzzfeed, The Wallstreet Journal, and Polygon articles, Forbes adds context to its narrative, leaving the judgement decision up to the reader rather than presenting judgement as fact.
In recent months, mainstream media has had a history of offences. The failure of seveal reputable news sources ranges from repeated inaccuracies and publishing unconfirmed sources. The aforementioned Buzzfeed published an article in early January where they published a company intelligence report that called out President Trump for having ties to Russia. This report was alleged and the source itself was not confirmed as legitimate, yet the new outlet published this regardless. This publication was justified, saying that “BuzzFeed News is publishing the full document so that Americans can make up their own minds about allegations about the president-elect that have circulated at the highest levels of the US government.” Responsible journalism is about giving out the facts, not sending out information that could be false. Rather than try to break the story first – or create a narrative that heralds the president-elect (current president) as corrupt – confirm or deny the information as valid and then publish it.
Again, the mainstream media has proven itself inaccurate in its portrayal of the tragic Quebec shooting in late January. The shooter was intially deemed a Muslim of Syria and later a Morrocan refugee. However, the shooter was revealed to be a white French-Canadian. News outlets like Fox News and countless others, including Yahoo, perpetuated this false narrative to fit the mold of a Muslim terrorist. Updates were published late, or in different articles, with the original articles remaining available for all to see the false information.
I do not think the Pewdiepie situation is at the same level of urgency as a false narrative which portrays Muslims in a negative light. Yet, this incident with Pewdiepie is the last straw for me. I have seen these incorrect, biased stories too frequently. The above examples are just that, a few examples of a continuing system. This type of news spans the left and the right sides of politics. I expect more from professional, accredited news sources. Personally, it will take some time for me to trust mainstream media again. Everyone is entitled to hold their opinions, but allowing those opinions to affect reporting of the news is irresponsible. For now, I rely on Al Jazeera, a news outlet which covers national and international incidents with equal urgency, and Philip Defranco, an independent news YouTuber, who openly acknowledges his opinion and biases,separating them from the story at hand, the most. Until the media does its job, being objective, I cannot trust it.