Media the aggravator
The spread of false information causes further panic.
The world is in a state of chaos. News outlets are under close scrutiny as the headlines continue to flood in about Coronavirus, national disasters and political turmoil. There are many arguments about what the correct steps are for countries, mostly battled out on Twitter.
The media has become an aggravator, instilling fear in the world. News outlets are filled with updates and videos that can be boiled down to just two topics — the presidential election and Coronavirus. The result is millions of people allowing fearmongering in the world about dangers that are still being evaluated.
While some news outlets claim the Coronavirus is the hyperbole of the decade, others suggest quarantines. Each article states the most polarized views that cause harm if they are based on false pretenses and loose ends.
Just to be clear, I acknowledge that civil acknowledgement is essential in a democratic country. Keeping up with the news should be ingrained in our daily lives, not succumbing to the easy steps of ignorance. But, the complex role of the gatekeeper has a gray area of determining what is true and newsworthy. It is impossible to eradicate human error in any profession, and journalists have had their share of mistakes.
In the new age of journalism, there is a technology shift. Anyone with a smartphone can write something and post it on Twitter, waiting on the magical retweet that leads to viralism. There are pros and cons to this wave of number-hungry citizens.
Over the past three weeks, Twitter has become one of the biggest news contributors about the Coronavirus and the election. There are always trolls in the world and Twitter is no exception. According to The Washington Post, the State Department recorded that outside the U.S., 2 million tweets contributed to the false claims of the Coronavirus.
The impact of the media has created a state of panic among the world that is supererogatory. While understanding the importance of how to take precaution during the wake of a virus is necessary, there are measures that cause more harm than good.
People are flooding stores, stocking up on supplies like toilet paper, soap and hand sanitizer. Medical experts and the World Health Organization (WHO) never said to raid the stores for the upcoming apocalypse.
“The most effective way to prevent the spread of the new Coronavirus is to clean your hands frequently with an alcohol-based hand rub or soap and water,” said the World Health Organization in response to the outbreak of the Coronavirus.
The WHO has made it clear about what prevents the spread of germs. However, the media has caused alarm which segregated people against each other, focusing on the false pretenses on Twitter.
The massive amount of news alerts are impossible to keep up with. The media is partly doing their job as a gatekeeper, updating the public on pressing news. The race to be the first to release information has muddled the truth about current events, an aggressive feat that causes more harm than good.
The scary names and stories outweigh the fact-based news stories, harming humanity’s understanding of the Coronavirus and the presidential election. Oftentimes, memes and jokes are more recognizable to people than the actual presidential debates.
The media has become an aggressive competition because of the natural ladder of success for news outlets. The faster the story gets out, the better the coverage and volume of readers it garners. In a time of crises, the world should want to trust the information told, not letting the fear distract from scientific truths.