Different streams of news, whether it be Twitter, Reddit, Facebook or even Snapchat, constantly harass the modern voter.
Unfortunately, the news posted on these platforms is often not vetted by the contingencies normally found in more respected news organizations.
Often times a professional publication researches a story to ensure the sources used to gather information can be trusted. The stories posted on social media websites are akin more to rumors than to actual pieces of important news.
Take for instance when the Boston bombing took two lives and injured over 100 more in 2013. In the hours after the attack, platforms like Reddit actively searched for the perpetrators.
The search began with good intentions, but unfortunately led to several people being wrongly accused. Some of those people found their lives ruined by the experience.
The average American is now beginning to trust sources they read online or hear from their friends. Misinformation has become so prevalent that up to 30 percent of Americans wrongly believed Barack Obama to be a Muslim before the 2008 election.
However, blame for the nationwide information crisis cannot be put solely on less mainstream forms of media, as even mainstream media sources have been caught lying or spreading fabricated news in the past.
A timely example stems from the recent race-related riots in Milwaukee. CNN ran a story saying that Sherelle Smith (sister of Sylville Smith, a Milwaukee man shot by police) was calling for peace from the rioters.
CNN showed a clip where Smith is heard saying, “Don’t bring that violence here,” in reference to the riots that led to several damaged and vandalized businesses.
In reality, Smith’s comments in full read, “Y’all burning down (expletive) we need in our community. Take that (expletive) to the suburbs. Burn that (expletive) down,” according to an apology issued after the fact.
CNN tried to spin the story in an attempt to bring peace to the community. Although I cannot fault their intentions, I can fault them for choosing to present false information in an attempt to advance their own agenda.
Although any news organization will have some inherent biases — as any news organization is made up of people who often have a track record of being imperfect — they still have a duty to inform the public as honestly as possible.
However, misinformation in the news is nothing new, and stems from the nation’s inception. One example is the “Boston Massacre,” which at the time was portrayed as a gathering of peaceful rioters that were gunned down by sadistic British soldiers who shot indiscriminately into a crowd of patriots.
The reality was that the soldiers were being harassed and attacked by the mob, a fact that was reflected in the soldiers that were later acquitted by a local, American court.
This is to say that faulty media is as inherent in this country as is the racism, sexism and xenophobia that the media often reports on.
If Americans have any hope of dealing with these problems on a national level, it is imperative that they have easy access to honest news organizations.
Many of the problems the nation faces today stem from ignorance, and the greatest antidote to ignorance is the truth.
Sam Balas
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