Category: Journalism

Change, Debated Topics, Journalism, Social Media

Spotting fake news: Always look with a critical eye

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As FactCheck.org explains, fake news has become more pervasive than ever before. What was once limited to an occasionally annoying chain email now has the potential to be shared across social media and other platforms under the guise of seemingly legitimate reporting.

In an effort to help readers decipher between what is fact and fiction, Snopes published a list of well-known “fake news” purveyors, including names like News Examiner and Empire News. FactCheck.org also cautions about the names of these websites. The article stated that the creators of these sites will mirror their domains after trusted news organizations. An example of this is how closely abcnews.com.co, a URL meant to mimic ABC News, resembles the actual URL for the outlet (abcnews.go.com).

person reading the daily fake news newspaper sitting on gray couch
Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

However, there are other clues readers can look for when reviewing the legitimacy of an article. Look to see  authored the piece. If you cannot find a link to any other work he/she has done, the name may be fake. I’ve linked to my work both as an example and a bit of shameless self promotion.

Another aspect to look out for is the date of the piece. Occasionally, these fake news outlets will take an old story and re-brand it to be connected with current-day events. This can be solved by Googling the news item to see if it has been debunked/proven or what other outlets are saying about it.

However, none of this changes the fact that potentially false information is often finding its way into our social media feeds. According to an NPR podcast with guest Craig Silverman, an editor at Buzzfeed, Facebook’s algorithm for content is, whatever is receiving the most engagement will be promoted to others.

Silverman goes on to explain that teenagers and 20-somethings in Veles, Macedonia took advantage of this fact. They saw, for example, that pro-Trump and anti-Clinton material was popular on the platform during the 2016 Election. They would post content reflecting those biases into Trump support groups. In addition, many of these posts were multimedia: video, pictures, memes and text-based articles as well.

Silverman said that the multimedia aspect of these messages was one of the driving forces behind their popularity. People could see a meme, for example, and quickly identify that it was inline with their beliefs. From there, the “share button” feeds the algorithm for popularity.

The clicks a piece of content receives, that directs the audience back to a website, and Google’s role in all of this is possibly the biggest factor in the whole puzzle. If the website has ads placed on it by Google (AdSense), then traffic to that website can be a major revenue generator. Just ask the man who built a fake news domain once worth more than $100,000.

Though Facebook has said it is improving its flagging system and algorithm to recognize misinformation, there is a high possibility that information which merely expresses an opposing opinion will be suppressed. Therefore, the responsibility rests with the audience to research and inform itself. That may be easier said than done but it is necessary to becoming an informed news consumer.

 

 

Change, Journalism, PR

A new way to think about news releases

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According to PR News, the format and delivery of news releases is changing. What was once thought of as a useful tool to  disseminate important updates or a public statement is now much more. The article explains that news releases should be put out often, essentially following any company update and they should be interactive. This includes a multimedia approach with links to related content, audio, video or images.

The new way of looking at news releases coincides with the popularity of the Internet. More and more people consume of the news through this medium. In fact, as of August 2017, the Pew Research Center reported that 43 percent of American adults often get their news online.

news release post photo
Photo via Unsplash/andrewtneel

The multimedia aspect shows the way in which web content broadens the possibilities of news coverage. Take, for example, a New York Times video on the New York transit system. Here, one can see an organization that is perhaps best known for its print content, producing a video that contains text, references to other material, audio and fast-paced editing. If viewers wanted, they could click off and do independent research based on the people and facts referenced. Also, the pacing and some of the stylistic choices would make it appear as though the Times is targeting the younger audience finding its news on the web.

Since the nature of the Internet is such that it is updated constantly with new content, public relations professionals need to keep the flow of new information about a product or brand going at a consistent rate. Otherwise, there is a danger there that the brand has become “old news” and not worth the audience’s attention.

A final important way to engage the audience is by allowing them to engage with the content. Other than links to follow, many readers would likely enjoy being a part of the conversation.  The article, video or press release functions as a diving board. Now, let them jump in and give their opinions. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways, either by adding a comments section to the piece or website or providing contact information to whom readers can voice their questions, concerns and thoughts.

News releases are no longer disseminated to the public solely at the discretion of an editor publisher. The web allows for direct access to these important updates. As I have said in many of my past posts, the audience is fast becoming the journalist. That also means an added layer of responsibility to decide what is news.

Journalism, PR, Social Media, Upcoming events

Reuters corespondent coming to campus today

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Barbara Goldberg, a corespondent for Reuters, will be speaking at 6:30 p.m. in Nursing Room 105. All journalism and public relations students are encouraged to attend. However, this talk is open to all. She will be speaking about how social media plays a role in modern-day reporting.

Reuters is an international news wire service, similar to the Associated Press. The media outlet was founded in 1850 and since then, has garnered award-winning coverage. In 2017 alone, two of its pieces were finalists for a Pulitzer Prize.

Goldberg pic

According to Victor Jeffrey Serote, the organization’s coverage is widespread. Reuters boasts a staff of approximately 2,400 reporters in nearly 150 countries.  The website also claims that Reuters is “the worlds largest international multimedia news provider reaching more than one billion people every day.”

Serote also wrote that, because Reuters corespondents are stationed all over the world, deadlines do not exist at the organization. There is an understanding that stories and other components such as video and photography are due as soon as possible. Serote suggested that this understanding among reporters creates a 24-hour schedule where news is constantly flowing into the organization and being put out.

Reuters’ coverage seems to show a fair deal of variety. It covers everything from economics and politics to entertainment.  For example, as of today,  the homepage of the Reuters website features stories such as “Turkey demands to know who ordered ‘savage’ Khashoggi killing” to “Caterpillar’s shares tumble on disappointing profit outlook.”

According to Barbara Goldberg’s Twitter account, she covers news in the Northeast region. She seems to frequently feature the work of other journalists on her page, from Reuters to The New York Times. 

 

 

 

Blogging, Journalism, PR, Social Media

Twitter: A useful tool or the downfall of journalism and PR?

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Okay, admittedly, the title of this week’s post is a bit dramatic and also implies that there is a clear answer. Ultimately, I land somewhere in the middle.

Twitter has its uses, both for journalism and PR. As Forbes suggests, PR professionals can use the platform for announcements, news releases and contest launches among other tactics. In a 2012 post, the late Steve Buttry laid out 10 reasons why journalists should be on Twitter, all of which seem valid. I particularly identified with his top reason, finding breaking news. As Campus Life Editor for Seton Hall University’s The Setonian, I routinely look for stories on social media. 

However, to put it bluntly, there is a risk of getting caught up in the platform and becoming lazy. Based on experience, I can more easily relate to how this affects journalism as opposed to PR. Most journalists cite Twitter as a key place to look for sources. Many articles even have embedded tweets in them as a means of gauging public response to news.  However, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) many accounts on Twitter are in fact bots and not real people.

Twitter pic
Photo via Unsplash/Marten Bjork

There is a way to check on this. For example, running account name through Botometer can help determine if the account is real or not.  Since bots are usually designed to participate and share in the spread of propagandized information, a journalist who does not verify his or her source could unwittingly be aiding in this goal.

However, if a journalist or PR professional is careful about their source aggregation, Twitter can doubtlessly be a useful tool. Individuals in both professions can find a litany of ways to gain followers and spread their messages and stories. One way to gain followers on Twitter is to add your name to a directory, as per the Forbes article. If  people want information on a certain topic, you can be listed as a go-to source. If the content is engaging enough, you will likely have yourself a new follower. Forbes also mentions the benefit of adding a twitter widget to your blog, like the one on mine. If you regularly keep your Twitter account updated with regard to upcoming posts and news, visitors to the blog will see that and may follow you to keep updated.

Even though, at the outset of this post, I said I landed somewhere in the middle on Twitter being a must or not for journalism and PR, I will conclude by saying that there are far too many benefits to the platform to ignore it completely. Another way to look at the fields I just mentioned is to point out that they both involve communication. Social media, whether it be Twitter; Facebook; Instagram or whatever platform to be introduced in the years to come, has become the way billions across the globe communicate and connect. To ignore this change is to be in the dark when it comes to the media industry.

On that note, for the latest on what is happening with Julie’s Corner be sure to follow me on Twitter at @SHUSocialJulie.  If you’re interested to learn more about what’s happening at Seton Hall, check out the blog I run with a classmate, Campus Rundown! We can be reached at @CampusRundown.

Blogging, Journalism, PR

The benefits of blogging and how to be successful

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SEO Chat probably has the most nuanced definition of a blog, as it can be both a tool to share personal messages and opinions as well as news. With blogs, the individual has the opportunity to take journalism or PR campaigns into their own hands. (Many businesses have turned to blogging as well in the interest of transparency with clients.) However, that also speaks to one of the main differences between mainstream journalists and bloggers. Bloggers do not have editors or “gatekeepers” the same way traditional journalists do in most cases, to fact check them and help them keep their stories objective. I understand how this could be liberating but, by the same token, it puts more responsibility on the blogger to self-police and make sure they aren’t contributing to the spread of misinformation.

Just because blogging and traditional journalism operate a little differently does not mean there isn’t inherent value in each and their relationship. In fact, media outlets often look to blogs for news tips and ideas for features, according to the same article by SEO Chat. One of the reasons blogs have been able to stay relevant for so long is how specifically targeted they can be.

Blog 3
Photo via Pixabay/StockSnap

As you’ll notice, this blog most often explores the connection between social media in journalism and PR. However, if an individual or media outlet wanted to look into blogs about poetry or running a small business there are hundreds, if not thousands, out there. One of the keys to finding and maintaining an audience comes with tagging key words and linking to social media, according to Sarah Green. That way, readers can be more quickly drawn to the subject matter. When blogging, no matter the subject matter, transparency and consistency seem to be key elements to maintaining and growing a readership. Consistency is also an element when deciding what topics to cover. If I attract readers based on my discussions of journalism, PR and social media, I’m not likely to switch gears to, say, “the benefits of carpentry” out of the blue.

Visual elements can be crucial to attracting readers to a blog as they break up the monotony of text and usually give clues to what the story or post will be about right off the bat. Images for a blog can be found by either the creator taking them herself or through a free image search. Free image searches can be done through Google Images. Next to the search bar, after you type in your terms and “enter” or “return,” select “Tools” then “Usage Rights” and finally “Labeled for reuse.” This will ensure you are using photos without violating someone’s copyright. Some other websites that contain free use images are Pixabay and Wikimedia Commons.

Following these steps will help ensure that you find or create the blog that’s right for you.

 

 

Journalism, PR

Getting the full story with collaboration

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The ability to collaborate with one’s audience is arguably one of the more exciting aspects of journalism and public relations in the digital era. As Briggs suggests, collaboration between the professional and her readers/viewers creates the idea of news and reporting as a conversation. In a world where social media has allowed and created the demand for up-to-the-minute updates on stories and PR initiatives, the ability to add to the dialogue is nearly a necessity. 

Not only can readers and viewers add to the pool of information, they are also likely to return to a given website and help drive traffic there if they feel they are a meaningful part of the conversation. This is why a journalist or PR professional should make it a point to always engage with users in the “comments” section of their pages, asking for leads and tips or providing feedback on ideas. Even in cases where comments are negative, a simple reply of “We appreciate your feedback” would suffice. Negative comments, unless they reach the level of hate speech, should always be allowed on the forum as one cannot deny the right of another to contribute (Briggs 111.)

Blog 2
Photo via Pixabay/RachelScottYoga

Last week, we discussed the popularity and usefulness of CNN’s iReport. However, similar crowd-sourcing efforts exist in the world of PR. Take Ketchum Mindfire for example, where users can look at postings from global organizations and help create campaigns to win prizes. Ultimately, professionals can find value in collaboration due to the fact it may expand a person’s worldview, introducing them to new ideas and angles.

Once that dedicated community of collaborators and audience members is built, both journalists and PR professionals can effectively engage in real-time marketing, which allows them to use trends and current events to enhance a product or concept. This is usually accomplished through shareable content like pictures and video. The more in touch a professional is with her audience and its desires, the more effective this strategy will be. A prime example of this marketing method winning big in the PR world is the Oreo Super Bowl blackout tweet, which went viral on social media.

There are some inherent dangers in collaboration, mostly in the legal realm. A professional must ensure they have permission from the creator to use the user-generated content. If she does not have permission, she may well be accused of plagiarism or theft of intellectual property. Another danger is using unverified content in a project and jeopardizing the credibility of the professional. With so much content being  generated online daily, it is becoming increasingly easier to miss something when fact checking. However, it seems the benefits of working with others far outweigh the risks.

 

Journalism, PR, Social Media

Exciting change unfolding before us

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The Economist seems to have the best definition of social media by classifying it as an ecosystem for the exchange of information. Much like any environment, social media platforms have evolved not only in the growing ease with which users can share information, but also in the way they are perceived by professional journalists.

Throughout the last few decades, the context in which news consumers share information has shifted from print to digital. What may then have been spread by text or broadcast evolved into email forwards and yet again into the “share” button on Facebook. With how important the individual has become in the spread of news, he or she has changed the face of the newsroom. Media outlets are more reliant upon, or more willing to integrate, user generated content in their stories. The Economist uses the example of iReport being an important tool for CNN to receive information from people in Japan during the 2011 earthquake. Reliance on civilian reports allows journalists to quickly gather and generate stories from around the world. A similar change occurred in the field of public relations (PR.) In times of crisis, social media can be an effective tool to get a statement out to millions at once. In fact, the PR field overall is shifting many resources to social media campaigns.

I believe, much like the central message of the readings for this week, both journalism and PR will always exist as industries. Whether it be a desire to ensure the clarity and effectiveness of a message or the correctness of a news story, people will always look to these professionals to help spread and verify information. Even at times when most do not actively seek this, it is still needed. This idea is perhaps best illustrated by the Pizzagate scandal surrounding the 2016 Election in which a man was led to raid a pizzeria based on propaganda and misinformation.

The greatest change we are likely to see, and have seen, across these industries is an effort to increase the immediacy with which information is released to the public. The public is in a space where it expects news to flow as events are unfolding. Tools such as Facebook Live are likely to be used more often as a result of greater demand. Also, just by nature of the usual brevity of social media posts, long-form journalism will likely decrease in popularity as people continually look to their feeds to keep informed. Neither of these changes or related others are particularly frightening, as long as the prospect of learning does not frighten PR and journalism practitioners. In fact, the rapid change of media and how it is consumed should be taken as an encouraging sign. That which remains stagnant usually dies out.