POLITICAL COVERAGE & OUR MEDIA ENVIRONMENT
In the media environment that we see today, there are so many different aspects of political news and current event coverage. There are many different sources for political news consumption ranging from a daily news brief on TV or our twitter feed. Although the shift we’ve experienced provides more accessibility and convenience, consumers should be more aware to filter what may look like political information may not always be true. It is important to prioritize this topic so journalism and media continues to be used as a critical tool to inform the public rather than fill consumers with negative connotations of our nation and lack the respect it deserves.
TRADITIONAL COVERAGE
Traditional coverage or Mainstream media is what I see as what has the most influence on our media environment today and in addition the most trustworthy. A few examples of these sources would be Fox News, CNN, Washington Post and New York Times. I perceive mainstream media as sources that are widely used and hold the most influence over our media environment. Unfortunately, consumers(including myself) associate their influence and providing real news at all times.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media and the use of these platforms for reporting is becoming more and more significant, but still may be unfamiliar to some people. In Fact, I have realized many have not recognized the growing importance of social media platforms and the benefits it could have as a tool. These platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the list goes on. Along with traditional media outlets, social media is becoming more widely used to seek news coverage. It is also important to note that with the popularity of these platforms growing, so does their influence on the media environment.
The increase of influence was a lot more evident after Donald J. Trump won the 2016 presidential election. President Trump uses Twitter as one of the main way to inform the public of current events. I do see his strategy as an improvement because he has the capability to directly provide information to the public, but not everyone has a twitter account or even access to the internet.
OUR MEDIA ENVIRONMENT & POLITICS
The shift in media coverage of political we are faced with in all media, fails to serve its ultimate purpose: to inform the public. Although that purpose holds a lot more depth, I don’t believe that majority of consumers have realized this perception and harm it is increasingly causing. Although these are not enforced rules, the SPJ Code of Ethics by the Society of Professional Journalists is a useful guideline that provides more detail and reinforces the ultimate purpose of journalism.
When I look for information on current events in the White House, I get flooded with misinformation, opinions pieces, clickbait links of fake news. These frustrations and difficulty to find political news updates without any of the obstacles mentioned above, are what drive me to bring more light to this situation and prioritize the influence it has on the media environment.
