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's reputation, but also distorts the idea of the industry as a whole.

Journalist Jack Shafer writes, “most liars make things up for the simple reason that they don't have the talent or the ability to get the story any other way.” I agree with Shafer's proclamation. People lie for the sole reason of believing there is no other way to achieve what they wish to achieve. In this case, these journalists thought they could never amount to anything or receive the traffic they aimed for without creating a great story. Instead of finding a creative idea or interesting perspective however, they decided to fabricate people and news, ruining their reputations along with it.

Given what Shafer says, I believe that colleges and universities should make sure that their graduating journalism students can handle the responsibilities and pressures being a journalist in this industry brings. These graduates are the new generation of reporters, and will inevitably be the ones taking over the media. They should know the morals of the trade and stick by them. It is the people running the media, not the news itself, who are the problem. If we can eliminate the ideas of having to fabricate a story from thin air, and incorporate the Code of Ethics and truth into everything journalists do, we will solve this problem.

I believe when issues of ethics arise a newspaper ombudsman would undoubtedly help. The public is an extremely fickle and complicated group, with ignorance, confusion, and many differences of opinions causing rifts and problems to arise that journalists and reporters cannot always deal with, whether that be morally, legally, or as to not show bias. An ombudsman is a perfect solution to a lot of the uproar caused by "fake news," and similar scenarios found in the media.