Staff Editorial (written by Lucy Kalkowski)
Words hold tremendous power, changing perspectives with meticulously crafted sentences. Ever since the invention of the printing press, beliefs and knowledge have continued to spread faster and further than years prior. The new age of information came with the creation of the internet, where now people can obtain any information by pressing a few keys. As easy as it is to access information, it is just as easy for someone to spread false rumors on the internet or social media. Viewers have rightfully become untrusting of media outlets due to partisan bias, or have fallen into the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories.
This is the biggest challenge journalists face: obtaining the trust of the public. Mistrust in journalists is continuing to grow at an alarming rate, fueled by politicians on both sides labeling any news source that publishes a story contradictory to their own message as ‘fake news’. The more the media becomes intertwined with its watchdog role in the government, the more people become distrustful of any journalist who opposes their beliefs. Bias and the truth are becoming more difficult to tell apart, spelling doom for the future of both journalists and their readers.
The solution to the growing mistrust is not easy to achieve. There is no one method or a shortcut to fix mass confusion. People naturally gravitate towards others who share the same views, and the same goes for their sources of information. Once set, it is extremely difficult to change people’s beliefs and attachments. The burden of truth rests on the shoulders of journalists. As unappealing and ungratifying as the job of a journalist is, words published do hold power and unparalleled persuasion. Journalists are the source of news, politics, education, and so much more. It is never impossible to clear false stereotypes and disprove erroneous rumors, but it requires hard work and fact-checking.
A journalist must always use numerous sources from different backgrounds while also shining a light on various viewpoints about an issue. The easiest way for a journalist to lose trust is to write a story with false information. The more sources, the more accurate the information is likely to be. But also allowing the reader to see the sources with links would allow the public to confirm with little effort. By making it easy to access, it makes people not only feel confident in the journalist but also more likely to believe the story. Featuring people from various backgrounds and beliefs is also another way to have the public feel heard and less likely to accuse a journalist of leaning towards certain sides of the aisle. Without representation, the left-out group will likely not want to continue to read from that journalist or trust the independent nature even with links to sources. Independent journalists with clear sources and who cover various views with transparency are what is needed to regain the trust of the public today.
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