Our need for news is insatiable. Our need for instantaneous news and information is remarkable. We, as a people have developed this need over many years and for many reasons.
Online and new media has forever changed the way in which we as media consumers approach news, we demand up to date and constantly evolving information. Unfortunately many of us do not consider accuracy as important as the speed in which information is delivered (I know that I look for updates on my, many, news applications for my iphone several times a day).
It would seem that our news organisations are similarly apathetic about the accuracy of the information they deliver us. Media watch, from the ABC in Australia
Seemingly, according top Media Watch, one particular case of inaccurate journalism, relates to the poker machine pre-commitment legislation currently being debated by our federal politicians. It would seem that in their haste to deliver news to the world, much of the industry in this country was fooled into believing one report. That report came from a highly trusted and well considered institution, the Australian Associated Press.
A plethora of journalists followed this story, a story about the AFL, NRL, Clubs Australia and the Australian government. I recommend watching the video for the full story, but here I want to discuss why it happened.
Many in the public and in politics were quick to criticize, but it is our fault. We demand constant news updates, we require our journalists to go above and beyond in order to get the story, to break news. They take to social media like facebook and twitter, they hack phones and get lazy with their reporting. Then we as a society get angry, we fume and prosecute, but the same truth always applies, we are the problem.
Our need for news is the problem, our need for information is what drives to bad and illegal journalism that we are constantly subjected to today!
I think we are living in a age of overflow of information with introduction of internet. I admit that internet provides need for news of public on its quantities and rapidity, but I doubt that whether all of them have a quality. I think free access and rapid environment of internet is related to the issue.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really intersting blog. Im like how you make the point that its not only the pressures of the journalism industry which create problems with reporting. But in fact that the news consumers are excpecting too much and demanding information constantley. I had not thought of the ethics of journalism in this way - yes we, ourselves play a major part in this issue. Cheers, Claire
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