The (Sad) State of Media in the 21st Century

 

The world has changed. To some, it has done so for the better. Others may argue that we are never alone with our thoughts anymore, as we are increasingly connected, and not just to social media. Our homes and appliances can be controlled wirelessly; wherever we go we can be reached via smartphone, and at every street corner we are offered free wifi connections or QR codes in order to get more information on monuments, events, places that surround us.

It’s only human to feel overpowered by the amount of news and connections available, especially when they come not only from the Internet but also from the more traditional media channel available: despite the global audience slump, mankind, with few exceptions, is a species who loves very much to turn on the TV or read a newspaper. And with every passing day, new magazines or publishing initiatives are born. So who can you trust?

And where does that leave us? Every year, some of the major research institutes such as Ipsos or Gallup investigate the level of trust in the media among American citizens. In 2017, for the first time in more than ten years, the results gathered showed that the population put back their trust in the world of news. At the same time, the feeling of confidence in politicians has diminished. Those who analyze this data will point out how the two phenomena are linked: the media denounces scandals that otherwise would not have been known, and subsequently, for this very reason the readers are thankful. To put it mildly.

The fact remains, though. In spite of the surge of trust that’s been recently recorded, we’re under siege by fake news, reports that are blown out of proportion, unreliable sources. They’re everywhere on our personalized newsfeeds, they’re what passers by or acquaintances discuss without knowing they fell into their traps. People around us are sometimes genuinely convinced that they’re sharing or commenting on an authentic news bit. What to do, then? Where to turn to find reliable news? It’s a delicate balance, a push and pull that’s constant, so we’re going to try and give answers to all of this questions in the pages of this website. We aim to provide a quick although solid point of reference for all of those who feel more and more overwhelmed by ruthless media who aim to destabilize society as a whole. Their intent is not always clear, however, we’ll discuss it in depth in a dedicated section of this page.

In other sections we’ll address the need for reliable news sources, we’ll explain the difference between actual media outlets and news agencies, and point to the major episode of media manipulation in recent times.

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