How much of the news you watch on the TV, do you think, is real? Clamped under the weight of screeching voices and manipulated facts, somewhere, the real news gets lost. In an age of racing behind high TRP numbers, journalism is taking the route of sensationalism. You turn the TV on and switch to a random news channel – you find yourself being bombarded with exaggerated realities and at times, even with blatant lies – smashing right on your face! Some news stories are peppered with spices; some just can’t make it to the screen. How do we react to it? How does it affect us? Can we escape its repercussions? What are these tactics and how must we probe into all that’s being fed to us before we digest it? This article lets you know all of this.
Yellow Journalism, which most people aren’t aware of, is a style of news reporting that emphasizes sensationalism over facts. Well, if you think it’s a contemporary term, you should know it’s not. With its origin in the 19th Century, it led the way for newspapers to start using exaggerated spiced-up headlines and graphics to sell more copies. The term came from a popular New York World comic called Hogan’s Alley, which featured a yellow-dressed character, named ‘the yellow kid’. The cartoon was aimed at creating humor while commenting on politics. This well-selling popular comic led to the idea of “yellow journalism” – the printing of journals with sensationalized stories. Most people are unaware of how hazardous these news stories can be. From creating fear amongst people to inducing violence – false or exaggerated news can be so risky. The history of yellow journalistic reporting, if probed into, is replete with such instances. For instance, it has been realized that sensationalized reporting was one of the major factors that pushed the United States and Spain into war in Cuba and the Philippines. Yes, it can get that horrid. And now, when we fast forward to the present, we’re witnessing a similar trend. But this time, it’s getting worse.
With the rise of social media and 24-hour news channels, the competition for viewership has become fierce. And right in this bedlam, the practice of sacrificing truth has become a part of the process. That is not the only reason why news channels resort to narrating exaggerated news. There can be a possibility of being indulged in another critical factor of attempting to fulfill political or corporate interests. In some cases, news channels may have an agenda to promote certain ideologies. These channels may have political or corporate affiliations, which can influence their editorial decisions. A news story will be cast or not, and if it will, to what extent will the facts be manipulated are all, at times, decided by these parties. This turns facts into biased stories that suit their ideologies. The social responsibility of news media, thus, gets lost in this process. The elephant in the room transforms into a whole flashy attention-seeking circus, vying for readership and self-interest.
According to the 2021 global survey by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism, 74% of respondents said that despite the increasing options to read and watch political news, they would still prefer news that reflects a range of views and lets them decide what to think. With this widening trust gap between the viewers and the news reporters, it becomes our responsibility to try not to get swayed by these false news pieces and rather, try to get to the truth behind the stories that are shown to us.
Media is something that everyone, whether rich or poor, engages with daily. However, it’s often the wealthier who have the privilege to decipher what’s accurate and what’s not. This creates problems for the marginalized, who become victims of misinformation. For instance, a false report about a health crisis could misguide the uneducated and the poor to make wrong decisions, like avoiding a necessary treatment simply based on a misleading news piece, causing their health to worsen. To avoid falling prey to these tactics, it’s important to be a critical consumer of news. A healthy news-consuming practice involves diving into the news, critically analyzing it, and verifying everything about it before trusting it.
So, here are a few tips from my end that you can try adopting to counter such news!
1. VERIFY FACTS – Don’t be too quick to accept the first thing that you see or read. Verify the news that you come across from reliable sources.
2. CHECK YOUR BIASES – We all have biases. It thus becomes essential to first recognize and acknowledge them before consuming any news. Take a moment to reflect on your opinions before reading or watching a news segment.
3. BROWSE THE HISTORY AND REPUTATION OF THE AUTHOR/PUBLICATION/NEWS CHANNEL – It’s important to know the credibility and reliability of the source you’re receiving news stories from. Research the author, publication, or news channel to ensure you’re consuming the right information.
4. BE LEERY OF SENSATIONALISM – Do not fall prey to clickbait headlines or sensationalized news reporting. These are most often misleading and can create false impressions, fears, etc.
5. READ BEYOND THE HEADLINE BEFORE YOU SHARE – The headlines are often exaggerated in a bid to attract the viewer’s attention. At times, it can be found that it is the main body of the article which reflects the real story, and which is far different from the impression that the headline attempted to make.
6. RAISE AWARENESS TO STOP THE SPREAD OF FAKE NEWS – Help others become critical consumers of news by sharing your knowledge and awareness of fake news. Let people know of the fake news sources you came across so that we can stop the ripple effect right before its onset.
Truth or bias? We live in a world where information is abundant, but truth hides behind the foggy clouds of exaggerated realities. Nevertheless, there are certain YouTube channels and news outlets that attempt to deliver authentically researched news but we need more of these. There remains a long way to go for this. It thus becomes our responsibility to put on our detective hats and dive deep into the ocean of information, uncovering the facts and exposing the biases. The truth waits to be found. Let’s hope journalism gets back on the right track. But till then, whether it’s truth or bias – understanding this becomes our responsibility.