MCOM 4003 - Abby Johnson

  Are ethics in journalism decreasing?          It is not uncommon to hear phrases like "the media is causing division" or "it is the media's fault" or anything along those lines. As more and more news publications and networks make controversial statements on current events, it seems like more and more people are losing their trust in the media experts. While a large majority of this could be just because the news is saying opinions that some people do not agree with, another big reason is also because many people believe that journalists have lost their ethics in reporting. This can be greatly attributed to the rise of news that is found on social media sites.      A 2019 survey shows that roughly 60% of people get their news online instead of from a television broadcast or a newspaper. If you spend any kind of time on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, or TikTok, you know how easy it can be to find real or fake news in the sp...

 Combating misinformation around the world   Following an election year and as we are cleaning up the mess that the Coronavirus pandemic made, misinformation is at an all time high in the United States. Conspiracy theories, fake news, and hateful messages that have no truth behind them have become the norm for most of social media around the country. While it can be easy to sometimes feel as if the United States is the only country experiencing these problems, the issue of misinformation is actually happening all over the world. Because of this, Reuters has announced its plans to expand its efforts in combating misinformation in Iraq and Israel in a partnership with Facebook.     The Reuters' Fact Check Unit, that over the last year has launched fact checking initiatives in multiple countries and through an e-course on detecting manipulated media in 16 languages, is now expanding its expertise in Arabic and Hebrew. Partnering with Facebook and Instagram, Reuters will...

 Exploiting Tragedies in the Main Media      By definition, exploiting means “to make full use of and derive benefit from”. Exploitation can happen in many different ways and in many different situations. It is not uncommon to now see exploitation take place all over society, especially in American media. Now, especially following an extremely chaotic and stressful election year, it seems like politics can often take the forefront of the media. Sometimes, these political opinions and ideologies end up gaining more coverage than serious issues and tragedies taking place around the country.       While doing research for this topic, I actually found a rather recent example of a political figure exploiting a tragedy for their own benefit. On Monday, March 22, 2021, a mass shooting took place in Boulder, Colorado in a grocery store. In this horrible situation, 10 people were shot dead by one man and a suspect was arrested for the crime. Reading and h...

  Copyright and Fair Use in Social Media      If you are anything like me, the first thing you might think of when you hear copyright is an invention or some type of media such as a song or movie. Rarely do I ever think of social media having a role in the conversation of copyright and fair use. As social media has become a thriving place for anyone to put their thoughts where the world can see them, it can be hard to distinguish exactly what you can share without breaking any copyright laws. Even though all social media sites come with their own terms and conditions, most people skip over reading that document and just click "I accept". So, what exactly is in those terms and conditions that tell users when and how they can use other people's information and content?      The official definition of copyright is the exclusive legal right, given to an originator or an assignee to print, publish, perform, film, or record literary, artistic, or musical mat...

  The Future of Reporter's Privilege     Reporter's privilege is something that has protected journalists for years and has given them room to write the stories that need to be written. The basic idea behind reporter's privilege is that journalist's have a right, based on the first amendment, to not be forced to reveal confidential sources or information in court. Often times, journalists rely on confidential sources in order to write important pieces for the public and it can be risky to reveal those sources in a court of law. This protection allows reporters to write stories of public importance and keep their sources confidential.      While most states have shield laws or recognize this privilege to some degree, only two states has absolutely zero shield laws and do not recognize the protection: Wyoming and Hawaii. Hawaii has previously had a shield law but it expired in 2013 and has not been renewed since. However, things are starting to look up for W...

  Fabrication in Mainstream Journalism    Personally, when I think of plagiarism or fabrication, I think of the scary rule that looms over the heads of high school and college students everywhere. We have always been warned that breaking the rule of no plagiarism comes with big punishments, even expulsion. Growing up and hearing that rule, it can be hard to imagine why anybody would even try to plagiarize. In this case, the risk definitely seems bigger than the reward. However, fabrication is not just something students have to look out for. In mainstream journalism, being accused of or being caught committing plagiarism can seriously damage not only the journalist's name, but also whatever organization they represent.      A prime recent example of this is with The Post newspaper of Athens, Ohio. The Post is a student-run newspaper located on on Ohio University campus. The publication not only covers news related to the university, but also on the state a...