Media literacy in the fake news era
October 22, 2020 / By Darren Mara
This was published more than 5 years ago. There may be outdated information.
I’ve been a working journalist for 15 years and have never experienced a time like this.
I’ve lost count of how many times a passer-by has shouted “fake news” at me on the street as I do my job. And it scares me on many levels.
Unchecked falsehoods and fake news are a 21st Century reality and the perpetrators are many. Non-state actors exploiting social media algorithms, campaigns to destabilise foreign political systems, extortionate cyberhackers, powerful people peddling propaganda – their fuel is confirmation bias, emotion, click-bait headlines and sensationalism and their content spreads with viral rapidity.
Fake news carries myriad consequences including the undermining of legitimate journalism and a deepening sense in the general public that perhaps no one can be trusted. Inevitably, faith in the media to convey simple facts – and act as a fundamental pillar of functional democracy – deteriorates. And it’s been deteriorating for a while.
The fake news phenomenon has also accelerated a view that ‘the media’ is a contiguous entity, as though every journalist and every newsroom is the same and must be trusted – or distrusted – to the same degree. It’s equally fortunate and unfortunate that standards vary as widely in journalism as they do in any other industry. Sloppy reporting, misleading headlines and ideological agendas are a reality. However, I still believe most legitimate journalists are seeking truth and reporting fairly.
That’s why it’s vital we educate people about the ‘fake news’ phenomenon and resist the urge to paint all journalists with the same ‘fake news’ brush, particularly as we all confront the COVID-19 pandemic. The crucial lesson, I feel, is that truth is not subjective. That there are many news outlets telling stories straight and true without fear or favour.
We need to educate the public to identify fake news when they see it. Read past the headline, read widely and consider your own slant. Journalists, meanwhile, must examine their reporting and ask whether it serves the truth or some other narrative.
This piece was written for SBS Learn ahead of UNESCO’s Global Media and Information Literacy Week (24-31 October 2020).
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