In our growing age of technology and increasing dependence on our devices, individuals have turned to digital news rather than broadcast or print to be informed about current events. “In these days of pandemic, protests, economic recession and angst among the world’s population a recently issued report shows that consumers continue to shift away from traditional media sources for their news and are moving more towards social media and messaging services to find the news” (Vorhaus 2020). This shift towards convenience when it comes to consuming news is not inherently bad, but the trustworthiness, or lack thereof, from these platforms to monitor and facilitate the truth is what makes this transition consequential. There have been ongoing debates and investigations into the rules and regulations that platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have enforced to limit the spread of misinformation and fake news. These companies want to balance free speech with censorship, which is very difficult to master. Facebook in particular has run into significant problems with misinformation being posted and then widely shared throughout the platform, which some may register as fact in their minds.
In 2021, former Facebook employee, Frances Haugen, released documents collectively referred to as the “Facebook Papers.” The accompanying data and statements show that Facebook repeatedly and knowingly put the company’s image and profitability ahead of the public good- even at the risk of violence and harm (Chappell 2021). Facebook has been at the forefront of digitally spread misinformation when it comes to recent political history. The January 6 insurrection gained traction and attention prior to the event through Facebook groups and users interacting with the information about the recent presidential election and its results. Since social media is a primary source of news for a majority of the population, it can be difficult to recognize what is true and what is false since both kinds of information survive on these platforms. Eliminating the spread of misinformation through social media is realistically impossible because no matter how many regulations and algorithms are created to remove false or dangerous content, you can never catch everything without truly diminishing the embodiment of free speech. What we can do is become aware of the news we read and utilize critical thinking as it applies to media literacy.
Media messages are each constructed for a variety of reasons and embody different points of view. Some are made with a specific intent or underlying message, and some are not meant to be interpreted past surface level. By understanding that not everyone online has good intentions with their posts and information, it becomes clear to the viewer that you cannot consume all media in the same way. In an age of abundant information and equally impactful misinformation, the relevance of media literacy continues to rise as does the importance of teaching social media users how to question the media they consume. We must also not forget that the programmed algorithms and data tracking of each individual may present us with facts or news that we agree with or want to see, but that does not automatically mean they are true. There are hundreds of news sites and millions of authors to receive your news from, but the fundamental properties of social media cause the quality and veracity to vary among the sources. By consciously working to question and understand the media you consume, you can put yourself in a better situation and gain perspective on the stories you read and the news you hear.
Sources:
Chappell, B. (2021, October 25). The facebook papers: What you need to know about the trove of insider documents. NPR. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2021/10/25/1049015366/the-facebook-papers-what-you-need-to-know
Vorhaus, M. (2020, June 25). People increasingly turn to social media for news. Forbes. Retrieved April 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikevorhaus/2020/06/24/people-increasingly-turn-to-social-media-for-news/?sh=136534223bcc
