To some people, the news is a never-ending cycle of mundane topics. While people once made watching the evening news a family tradition, now most people get their news from social media.
In a world filled with many influencers and businesses competing for your attention, it is more important than ever to stay vigilant and be able to determine fact from fiction. Always verify your sources — Sarah Gandluri '24
However, the average American does not seem to care that “fake news” plays a large role in the system of journalism. In a study by the Pew Research Center, they found that only 50% of US adults believe that “made-up news is a major concern,” compared to 71% of journalists.
Talon staff writer Sarah Gandluri ‘24 is a member of Youth Journalism International (YJI). YJI is an organization that aims not only to teach students about journalism, but also to help them grow into “thoughtful world citizens.”
When Sarah learned of the findings of the Pew study, she was not overly surprised by the results.
“Everyone should see this as a problem in today’s world when we’re living in an ocean of media,” Gandluri says. “Whether it be on Instagram or Tiktok, everyone is being exposed to various forms of media.”
But the issue of fake news stretches beyond the American borders.
“Fake news and trusting misinformation is unfortunately a global epidemic,” Gandluri stated. “Because the US has a bigger media presence, it’s very obvious when you see misinformation. But fake news and manipulating the news is pretty universal.”
So how can you combat fake news in your own writing? Sarah has some tips to be sure your writing can be trustworthy and reliable. “Always verify your sources,” she said. “If you are getting sources [for a project], check that information on different websites and publications.”
More importantly, Gandluri encourages everyone to never blindly trust any source. “Always take any source with a grain of salt,” she said.
America prides itself on having freedom of speech, but it’s important to be able to decipher fact from fiction. If you cannot, then you might yet be another person that loses themself in the sea of misinformation.
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