When it comes to digital media, it can be a bit difficult to determine whether what you’re reading, watching, or listening to is news or opinion. While I have encountered some sites that label their content, others leave it up to the audience to figure out.
For this week’s blogging assignment, I found four articles from different media outlets, decided which are news and which are opinion, and evaluated their credibility.
Let’s dig in!
In this article, Natalie Jarvey of The Hollywood Reporter reports on newly announced changes in leadership at Hulu as the streaming service is further integrated into Disney’s direct-to-consumer division.
This is a news article.
Jarvey sticks to the facts on this one. All of the information presented is relevant and verifiable. The article has a neutral tone and Jarvey’s personal thoughts and opinions on the topic are nowhere to be found. She is not trying to tell readers how they should feel about the changes. She’s just letting people know that they’re happening.
One reason to think this piece is credible is that it was published by a long-running, trusted industry publication. A second reason is that it doesn’t involve wild claims, anonymous sources, or speculation. The information included in the piece is factual, with much of it coming directly from statements put out by the parties involved.
2. Streaming Giants Need Shows Like Schoolhouse Rock
In this piece published by Wired, Kelly Kessler shares her thoughts as to why streaming services should be developing more children’s programming with a focus on civics education.
This is an opinion piece.
Kessler clearly wrote this to express her own opinion on a topic she is passionate about. It’s written in the first person and while she backs her argument up with facts, personal anecdotes also play a role. She uses stories from childhood and her experience as a mother to explain why she feels the way she does. Tonally, readers can pick up on Kessler’s frustration and desire for change. There is an explicit call to action here that you don’t see in news articles.
While I think the nature of the piece speaks for itself, I should also note that Wired has it labeled as opinion on its website.
As she is an associate professor of media and cinema studies at DePaul University, this piece strikes me as credible because there’s reason to think Kessler knows what she’s talking about. In a further boost to her credibility, additional sources that back up factual claims and support Kessler’s overall opinion are linked throughout the piece.
3. The Streaming Wars Have Barely Started and They’re Already Exhausting
Next up, Dieter Bohn, Executive Editor for The Verge, gives readers his take on streaming fatigue as more and more streaming services start to roll out.
This is also an opinion piece.
Like the previous example, it is written in the first person. Bohn uses a frank, informal tone. He does not shy away from expressing his lack of excitement about NBC’s upcoming streaming service, Peacock, and the advice he shares for combatting streaming fatigue is his own. Bohn’s point of view is clear throughout the piece and it is tagged as an editorial.
On the credibility front, I have mixed feelings.
I don’t think this piece is entirely unworthy of trust, but there is a big reason to be cautious. The Verge is owned by Vox Media. NBC invests in Vox. Additionally, Vox is producing a show for Quibi, another new streaming service mentioned in the piece. Bohn does disclose this in the third paragraph and the decision not to hide it at the bottom or ignore it altogether gives him some credibility in my eyes. But these financial ties will be something I keep in mind whenever I check out The Verge’s coverage of the various streaming services from now on.
4. Netflix Reports a Subscriber Bump as Disney Poses a New Threat
Finally, the New York Times’ Edmund Lee reports on Netflix’s 2019 fourth quarter earnings figures and comments from Netflix CEO Reed Hastings.
This is another news article.
Most of the information presented in the article comes directly from Netflix’s earnings report and the earnings call with Hastings. Lee doesn’t share his personal thoughts on the numbers or Hastings’ comments. He’s not advocating for anything or trying to tell readers how they should feel. He’s simply relaying new information to those interested.
One reason to find the article credible is that the New York Times has a solid track record for reporting on this kind of news. The brief biography of Lee that’s included at the end of the article also adds credibility as it lets us know that he regularly covers the media industry. To further increase his credibility, Lee could have included links to the full letter to shareholders and transcript of the earnings call. I checked and they’re available here.
