Journalism in the information era.

June 11, 2018

Journalism and credibility in the information era is a tricky thing. It is not a recent development, but many news sources discuss or pass opinion on subjects which they have little or no understanding of. In our world this applies to the military, but realistically, pick any other subject and the same applies.

With the rise of the internet, unlimited access to various credible news sources, social media and on-demand streaming, main stream media is beginning to falter. As attention spans are reduced to mere seconds, the main-stream is slowly being reduced to attention grabbing. And they have to grab it fast.

Credibility and reliability of information is being reduced, to make place for controversy - controversial statements to grab your attention. As a result of the “sparking outrage” approach to gain viewers, one vital point is being exchanged for another. This point being; short term attention grabbing is negating long term credibility.

The ability to observe without evaluating is the highest form of intelligence. Observe until hearsay becomes fact, before weighing your opinion amongst a panel of self-selected “yes” men.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” — Theodore Roosevelt, The Man in the Arena.