We’re in Your Life and You Don’t Even know It – Fake News
Have you played the classic game Broken Telephone? It all starts with a message passed on from a main source onto a next until it reaches the last person who is the distributer of the information. Usually at the end of “telephone line” the message is not necessarily what the source produced. I think that the operation of PR and Journalism share similarities to the Broken Telephone game, because the PR’s pass the news stations the information. The information is not necessarily the initial information because when it gets to the news stations it becomes fabricated and at times it becomes watered down to be easily receptive to the viewers. Just like the person at the end of the telephone line, the journalist distributes the news to the public but it is not always what the initial information is.
Another factor that may play into the distribution of fake news is the precise, strict deadlines. Living in a fast paced society plus a very competitive business the quality of the news is easily forgotten or not taken as seriously as it should. In Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs, Klosterman expresses his theory as to why we receive the quality of news we receive. ”That’s why the biggest influence on the content of most news stories is simply who calls back first. Most of the time, that’s the catalyst for everything else that evolves into a news story. Since the breaking the news is a competition-based industry, almost everything is done on deadline – and since journalism is founded on the premise that reality can only be shown through other people’s statements, reporters are constantly placing phone calls to multiple sources with the hope that all of them (or at least one of them) will give the obligatory quotes the writer can turn into a narrative. That’s why the first person who happens to return a persons phone message dictates whatever becomes the “final truth” of any story” (Klosterman 206). Klosterman also states, bluntly, how false news can become, “Newspapers are constantly quoting people who are openly lying, and almost every sound bite you hear in the broadcast media is partially false. And there’s nothing anyone can do about it. It’s not that the truth is being ignored; it’s just that the truth is inevitably combined with a bunch of crap that’s supposed to make news stories unbiased and credible, but really just makes them longer and less clear.” (Klosterman 209) The sad thing about all this, is that we somewhat know how corrupt the news industry can be but yet still we are extremely submissive to it, but do we have a choice? Should we take upon ourselves as curious citizens to find out what is really going on as we push aside the entertainment news, and the actors presenting it to us?
As viewers become slaves to the world of news and hang on its every word, it creates a feeling of depth and truth because of the fabricated approach the world of news has. As humans we are easily drawn to what looks good, most of the time and lean heavily and rely heavily on the appearance and not the quality. The impact of fake news is so scary that we could be knowledgeable of the false news we receive but as it’s presented glamorously and continuously repeated we begin to believe what is being broadcasted for the wrong reasons. Since the 1980′s VNRs have been a medium often created by PR firms to transfer information to the news stations in order for them to use it in their broadcast segments. VNRs are created to sculpt public opinion, to inform, and to draw specific publicity to an individual. People who are in your life and involved create these videos in many daily choices without your knowledge.
In Toxic Sludge is Good For You it unveils the truth and history behind the Public Relations industry, and it forces absolute transparency for the reader to experience. Stauber and Rampton let the reader know that the Public Relations industries are have extreme impact in the everyday lives of us all. “You have never voted for a politician who campaigned on a pledge that he would work to limit your access to information about the food you eat. You never voted for Ketchum PR, and, if you are like most people, you’ve never heard of them. You never gave your consent for them to become involved in your life, and in return, they have never bothered to ask for your consent. After all, they’re not working for you. They’re working for the California Raisin Advisory board” (Stauber, Rampton 10). The PR industry is massive, controlling and invisible and its role is even more distinct especially in the democratic areas of the world where free, open participation and action is promoted. “Democracies function best without invisible Men” (Stauber, Rampton 16), so don’t you think that fake news has a huge hand in the democratic society we live in? Especially in North America? There is too much hidden and it is adding fuel to this corrupted fire. Stauber and Rampton’s purpose is to express the truth that is often looked past. . “We want the public at large to recognize the skilled propagandists of the industry and government who are affecting public opinion…” (Stauber, Rampton 16). It’s terrifying to now know the dominant presence of fake news, what do you think?
So like I stated in the beginning in the game of “Broken Telephone” you couldn’t repeat what you said to the receiving person, once the information is received you have to keep going and determine your next move by being on the receiving end of false information.
Work Cited
Stauber, John, Sheldon Rampton, and Mark Dowie. Toxic sludge is good for you lies, damn lies, and the public relations industry. Monroe, ME: Common Courage P, 1995.
Klosterman, Chuck. Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs A Low Culture Manifesto. New York: Scribner, 2004.
“Video news release.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 28 Oct 2009, 02:43 UTC. 19 Nov 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Video_news_release&oldid=322466022>.
“YouTube – How The Fake News Works.” YouTube – Broadcast Yourself. 19 Nov. 2009 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMIh4yucVUc&feature=related>.
