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How To Navigate Today’s Media Environment When So Many Are Working To Mislead You
On October 30, 1938 at 8pm Eastern time, Orson Welles aired his now legendary radio drama The War of the Worlds. Audiences were mesmerized — not just because the story was so compelling, but by the innovative news-style format that blurred the lines between fiction and reality. Many listeners genuinely believed Earth was under attack by Martians.
Yet the panic that ensued wasn’t just due to the style in which the H.G. Wells’ story was presented, but because people were still getting accustomed to the new medium of radio. Few had built up requisite media literacy to discern between fact and fiction. To them, the fake newscast was as real as anything else they’d heard.
Today, we face a similar challenge, on a larger scale. Social media, digital platforms, and foreign influence campaigns have created an environment where misinformation thrives. At the same time, research from Pew finds that only about a third of US adults say they “often” get their news from traditional sources. We need to better discern fact from fiction.
Understanding The New Media Business Model
The news media, like any other business, follows the basic laws of economics. To be successful, they need to pay out less in production costs…
