The modern mediascape is a complicated mess.

It didn’t always used to be like this, media and the way

it was presented has changed drastically. Believe it or not, news anchors and news channels used to be
trusted sources of information, and teams of people worked behind the scenes to ensure factual
accuracy and honest reporting. The news was brought into homes by only a select few voices, each
carrying the weight of the network and their words with them. But times have changed, and how
information is brought about now is rapid, and no longer subject to the strenuous review and editorial
scrutiny. Algorithms, echo chambers, and satire news sites are creating confusion in the media scape
and creating difficulty identifying reliable, honest news. Social media platforms have an ethical
responsibility to ensure ac

1. The timeline of the breakdown of news can be seen by the technological advances in mass
communication and advertising over the last approximately 50 years.
a. News media used to be controlled a few sources, and was carefully controlled. Network
were scene as credible by a majority of people, and worked diligently to accurately
report the news. Nighly news reports and local news reports. 60 Minutes, The Today
Show, Larry King, specialized in longer form shows. Larger networks had less
competition for ad dollars.
b. During the 80s and 90s, with the advent of cable television, came the birth of the 24
hour new cycle. This lead to some of the first breakdowns in news accuracy due to less
time to vet information before broadcast. Networks could produce more shows cheaper
on more networks to increase ad revenue. Targeted content started to become more
normalized as it brought in more ad dollars overall.
c. During the 2000s, as the internet became more and more accessible, local print media
and news was replaced. Instant access to classifieds, news and events, coupled with
increased ad revenue displaced local newspapers, one of the last sources of credible
local news.
2. Social media is powered by algorithms that are designed to create engagement.
a. Engagement at its core is clicks. Whether that means commenting on or sharing an
article or photo, commenting on it, or clicking the subscribe button, it is an effort to gain
more engagement.
b. Social media platforms operate like slot machines. Engagement feels good, getting
notifications and retweets is a reward, but not necessarily for winning or positive
behavior. Find sources
c. Online platforms like Twitter (X), Instagram, and Facebook have no reason to fact check,
censor, or provide much moderation for content. Inflammatory and inaccurate content
is just as valid and click worthy as true and accurate information. As long as content
doesn’t drive away viewers, or advertisers, there is little reason to moderate it.
3. Online web news and content has become a zany hellscape. Online media sources have become
nearly devoid of original content, frequently just reposting and rereporting news from other
sources, opinion pieces, inflammatory or click driven articles, or produced just for revenue.
a. Places like 4chan, and NewsMax are held up as viable sources of information,
comparable to a library or Associated Press. Even network cable news has become
ratings chasers, catering to political viewpoints in effort to retain viewers, and
advertising revenue
 b. Conspiracies and misinformation are running nearly unchecked, and affecting people’s
lives negatively. Online conspiracies, even wild ones, gain traction using simple tricks to
play on people’s emotions and gaps in knowledge to manipulate them. “Birds aren’t
Real” and “Flat Earthers” have gained actual traction in the US, despite reality staring
back at them.
i. Clickbait techniques.
c. Bots and echo chambers. Bots are algorithms designed to drive views and clicks towards
paid content, or at least content that is getting engagement, i.e. clicks. This also leads to
“echo chambers”, areas where people are only seeing content they want to see, and
hearing feedback that echoes their own viewpoints
4. Ethical ramifications and ways forwards
a. Real world ramifications of misinformation
i. BLM
ii. Jan 6
iii. Ukraine War
iv. Israel vs Hamas
b. News has real world implications, and affects the core beliefs of the citizenry. It has an
ethical responsibility to be non-biased and non-profit motivated.
c. Social Medias currently has no reason or motive to care about bringing unbiased
content, only content that drives engagement
d. Quote USC study showing how social media can be redesigned to reinforce accurate
media reporting and sharing
e. Accurate news reporting is essential to a fair and advanced modern society. Keeping it
behind paywalls, distorted by ad dollars, and corporate interests is the wrong way
forward. Journalism needs to return.