Is Nothing Real News Anymore? Who Can We Trust These Days?

Remember just a few years ago, when the term ‘fake news’ made a grand entrance into our lives? To be honest, fake news had existed for a long while before, and it is surprising that it took this long for society to stare itself in the eyes and admit – we’re not being told the full story. Reporters, editors and producers of the mass media have their own set of beliefs, interests and fears, and it shows in the content they release for us to consume.

The ultimate safe haven used to be social media. There, you knew you could get a plethora of different angels and opinions on every subject. Since the spreading of information on social media is not limited to those in powerful positions, anyone can post their account on who, what, when, where, why and how.

However, over time, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and their peers have also become uncredible for anyone wanting to know the real deal. It is very easy to spread misinformation at the speed of light, turning an opinion or point of view into facts and reality. That’s why we need to be extra careful these days from the forces behind what is perceived as news, both on the traditional and the new media. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Not Ideal Ideology

A big part of the reason news becomes biased is the part where the communicator’s ideology is mixed into their content. Let’s face it – it is nearly impossible to create any type of content without your personal beliefs getting mixed into it, consciously or subconsciously. Plus, adding one’s ideology into what they create and spread seems moral to the creator, since they’re not looking at things in an objective manner.

However, it is easy to recognize when news is mixed in with ideology. You just have to look at a person’s track record with content. If, for example, this person publishes a lot of news with a positive point of view on something over a long and consistent period of time (while neglecting to show negative sides), it is probably because of an ideological bias.

It’s easy to check someone’s history – whether it’s a CNN reporter or an influencer on social media. The information is all available online today and accessible with a few clicks. If you truly want to understand why they say what they say, this would be a good place to start.

Under the Covers

We’re used to news being a method of exposing things. Sadly, today, fake news is a method of covering up things that might bring shame to some people. For example, flooding social media with reports regarding a certain company may be a way to wash out other reports about that company – the kind that the company would really like you not to know.

“In our line of work, we do advertising for businesses and industries,” told us Johnathan Greenwood from the known digital marketing firm Crystalead, “from all around the world. We never take on these kinds of covering projects, because it’s not ethical, but you’d be surprised at how common they are. If someone’s willing to pay for it – and, trust me, it costs a pretty penny – then someone is willing to take the money and provide this shady service.”

You Scratch My Back, I’ll Scratch Your Back

Now, here’s the most dangerous type of fake news out there: fake news that is a result of a deal between two or more people. This means content that seems like news is just a way for the creator of it to benefit in some way or another. For example, a certain politician can ask for positive media coverage from a media body, and in return promote a certain rule or regulation favoring that media body in several ways.

“This is where it gets especially tricky,” added Greenwood. “We at Crystalead only deal with paid ads. But when it comes to other benefits, you can’t really tell what goes on in the back rooms. Also, one person’s benefit in this sense can be another person’s loss or problem. We’re talking, of course, about a criminal offense.”