The Risks and Challenges of Getting Our News Via Social Media in 2019 and beyond

News feeds make spreading lies easier. A 2019 Reuters Report stated 61% of Irish media consumers are concerned about what is real and what is fake on the internet. This is a worldwide phenomenon. Social media is far reaching, meaning these lies can spread globally. However, constantly updating feeds might be our only modern option. By Alex Maher

The Risks and Challenges of Getting Our News Via Social Media

Beware the dangers of socials

In Ireland 56% of us use our phones to access news. In the same 2019 Reuters Report, this is higher than the EU average. With figures this high and a rise of distrust in the media, what are the dangers of getting our news from our phones? It can be easy for us to isolate our views and opinions on topics because of the high personalisation of the platforms. The algorithms of socials have created a safe space where our opinions are protected and we like to only see what we want to see.

Information has the risk of being skewed or false but could be presented in a believable manner to fool us and accept the lies as truth. Despite these dangers, is this way of consuming news the only modern option for us today?

Gen Z and consuming news

43% of 18-24 year olds get news from social media exclusively. This figure dwindles as the age range increases. Why is Gen Z so reliant on social media for almost everything and is it as bad as we think? Researchers at UC Irvine, America surveyed over 2,000 young people between the ages of 10-15 to understand their smartphone use. There was no correlation between tech use and negative effects on their mental health, in some instances it was actually the opposite.

In terms of news exclusively we all don’t have time in our day to sit down and watch something at a specific time. Getting news from socials makes it easier for us to consume little bits of news throughout the day with at least the basic information to understand the story. Mixing in pop culture with our news isn’t all that bad either. Although some people may not like it, it brings in a new audience with different lifestyles, new opinions and views on stories.

Trust in the media?

Picture courtesy of https://pixabay.com/users/wokandapix-614097/

As mentioned before, 61% of Irish media consumers are concerned about what is real and what is fake on the internet. Now paired with the figure that 43% of 18-24 year old’s get news from social media I think lies in the media is a very worrying thing, especially on social media.

When I spoke with Simon Cocking, Senior Editor of Irish Tech News he stated that it was how the tech was used by us rather than the tech itself but it is also relevant to be concerned; “in theory it should be just as easy to spread truth & information via social media, the tech is neutral, and it is about how it is used.

Flip over to FaceBook & Cambridge Analytica etc, and it is currently very relevant to be concerned about misinformation, and for the need for more stringent criteria before allowing stories to be run”.

Now I’d like to list out the different types of lies, misinformation or fake “news” you might encounter to help us be more protected while browsing news on social media.

1. Clickbait: Stories that are made up to gain more website views which then increases ad revenue.
2. Propaganda: Stories that are made to mislead, promote a biased point of view or particular political cause or agenda to its audience.
3. Satire/Parody: Websites or social media accounts that publish satire or parody of news online.
4. Sloppy Journalism: Reporters or journalists can sometimes publish a story without checking all the facts. Mistakes happen.
5. Misleading Headings: Stories that aren’t totally false can be edited to get eyes on the story for the same reasons as clickbait.
6. Biased/Slanted News: People who look for confirmation of their beliefs can be taken advantage of by lies/misinformation.

How can you spot/counteract the lies?

1. Take a closer look: Source check a story if you are suspicious about the content within it or the website as a whole.
2. Look beyond the headline: Check the entire article and see if what was said in the headline relates to the rest of the story.
3. Check other sources: Check other stories to see if anywhere else is reporting on the same story. If no one else is then it’s probably fake.
4. Check the facts: Fake stories often contain wrong dates or timelines relating to the story. You should also check when the article was published.
5. Check your biases: Are your own views or beliefs affecting your judgement of a news feature or report? If they are then you might have a skewed but rightful opinion on the story.
6. Is it a joke: Satirical sites are very popular online and on socials. It’s very easy to believe an intentionally fake story, we’ve all fallen for one at some stage.

Sources

To get more information on lies/misinformation/fake news head to: https://www.webwise.ie/teachers/what-is-fake-news/

For the full 2019 Reuters Report head to: https://www.bai.ie/en/increase-in-number-of-irish-media-consumers-concerned-about-fake-news-on-the-internet-reuters-digital-news-report-2019-ireland/

Link to UC Irvine study: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/2167702619859336?journalCode=cpxa

Quote from Simon Cocking, Senior Editor of Irish Tech News: https://twitter.com/SimonCocking  https://irishtechnews.ie/

Writer Bio

Hello everyone, my name is Alex Maher. I’m currently a first year journalism student at Coláiste Dhúlaigh College of Further Education, Coolock. I love tech, movies and all things gaming. Hope you enjoy my writing!

WordPress blog: https://alexmaherhack.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/alexmaherhack

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