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Facing Fake News

Introduction The term, "yellow journalism," came from the style of journalism used in the 1890's, led by newspaper owners William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. This style of journalism consisted of many gross exaggerations and wild stories used to attract the attention of the public, and there is speculation that these false news stories contributed to the Spanish-American war, which became the United States' first press driven war. I believe that the media was definitely a huge factor. Even though the relationship the U.S had with Spain was clearly not at it's strongest at the time, these false claims against Spain were believed by the public, causing great turmoil within their own country as the general public demanded retaliation against the "crimes" Spain had committed against them. Satire News versus Fake News Satire news refers to media directed at entertaining the public, not informing or claiming to inform through false news. I thoro
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Fiction, Fake

Caught In Lies I have considered that news I read, watch or hear can be factually incorrect or completely fabricated, which is why I usually double check these stories claiming to be facts, and always rely on what I consider to be trusted sources. There have been times when I have heard a fact on the radio or read an article shared on twitter that did not settle well with me. It seemed too absurd, too obstruct, and it sent me searching the internet to see if the fact was true. Nine times out of ten this "fact" is false with no evidence to back it up, which is why fact checking is a habit one should take. I would not say that I was surprised to learn that professional journalists fabricated these stories, but I will say that I was disappointed. I understand that it can sometimes be tough to find a hard-hitting story, break the mold, or feel as if you are being heard as an individual, but fabricating a story like this is dishonorable and not only tarnishes the journalist

Hard News vs Soft News

This article, "Married Seniors Dead After Police Involved Shooting At Cobourg, Ont. Hospital,"  by Huffington Post  is undoubtedly a piece of hard news. It is talking about a horrific crime that has traumatized those in the community. It gives the reader the who, what, when, where and why in a factual manner, with eye witness accounts and video interviews. This story is also one that needed to be covered quickly, and will be updated as more information about the crime is revealed. "Netflix Canada: What's Good for November 2017?" an article also published by Huffington Post , is a perfect example of soft news. This story does not talk about any hard-hitting or pressing issues, but it does captivate the human interest side of things because who doesn't watch Netflix all of the time? The author also states their opinion on what they believe are the best movies and television shows coming to Netflix next month, with not exclusively delving in as to why they th

What is Newsworthy?

Women are boycotting Twitter for suspending Rose McGowan Timing - 4/4 This is an article about #WomenBoycottTwitter, a movement that circled the social media platform and took place on Friday, October 13th.  As this was only this past Friday, I believe this article is still quite relevant, especially with the increasing prejudices and sexism becoming a more prominent theme in the States and other Western countries. Significance - 4/4 #WomenBoycottTwitter was an idea created by Kelly Ellis on October 11th, which in only two days gained the support of 126 000 people, consisting of both women and men. This is an outstanding amount of people who became involved, or at least acknowledged the movement, in only two days. Proximity - 3/4 Although this movement began in the States, and was first an issue between an American actress and actor, Canadian's have since gotten involved with the movement through the internet, and took part in the boycotting on Friday. Prominence - 3/

Writing the News Articles

Irene Kepler deaths shocks public into mourning This past Thursday, October 5th, Nobel Peace Prize winner and civil rights activist Irene Kepler passed away after a long, silent battle with breast cancer, shocking the public into mourning. Today, traffic was halted as the streets filled with mourners, commemorating Kepler and the legacy she left behind. The memorial lasted for three hours, with live entertainment. She is lived on through her children, Lance, 28 and Harmony, 19, who are still recovering from their father's passing two months before. "It's been really hard," said Lance, after asked about his mother's recent passing. "She didn't want anyone to know she was ill. We didn't even find out until she was in the hospital." "It's still a shock to me," said Harmony, "I can't really get my head around it." Crowd gathers for Irene Kepler memorial Kepler was born on September 8th, 1964, to David and M

Starting with the Basics

October 1, 2017 will be marked as the largest mass shooting in U.S history, thanks to Stephen Paddock, a 64-year old Las Vegas native who killed 50 people and injured 200 others at a Jason Aldean concert, one of many scheduled to play at the Route 91 Harvest festival (at the Las Vegas strip near the Mandalay Bay hotel). The shooter open fired from a 32nd floor window, and was killed on site by police officials. "Through investigation and response, we determined there was a shooter on the 32nd floor of the Mandalay Bay. Officers responded to that location and engaged the suspect at that location. He is dead [...]" said Sheriff Joseph Lombardo, who was one of the responding officers on scene. This article , written by Vice, did not do a very good job of informing, or even hooking, its readers. I had to find another source ( independent.co.uk ) to find out exactly where this horrific event even took place. Vice's lead gave us the most basic and what the public would cons

First Newspapers

Compared to today, there are some obvious differences between the early newspapers of the past and the modern readings we see today. Not only have the structure and design of the media changed greatly, (i.e, color, pictures, etc.), but the content has grown. Local news is more in depth, closely following the lives of interesting people and updating the community on marriages, deaths, births and events. National news has grown outside of the circle that was Great Britain, France, America and Canada, and now includes significant going-on's of countries around the world. Online news can also include videos, audio, and graphics that allow readers to view information as an experience and not just a an article on a page. Publik Occurences was forced to shut down because they were critical of the government. I am relieved that the government today does not have this power over the press, and if one were to suggest we revert back to these old ways, I would disagree. The freedom of the p