By Ariana Magafas
The trust that people have in the news today is lower than it has ever been. According to Reuters Institute, the public’s lack of understanding how journalism works and “coverage that has ignored or stigmatised segments of the public” are the contributing factors to their low trust in news. Reuters Institute also found that the demographic of those who are less trusting of the news tend to be less educated, older, and have minimal interest in politics. Individual reporters can help the public increase their trust in news by providing the source(s) of where they get their information from, including their areas of knowledge in their profile, and incorporating diverse voices into their stories. Newsrooms can aid in the process of increasing the public’s trust in the news by hiring diverse journalists and having ethical standards that guide how they gather news.
I was aware of the harassment in the journalism industry that is directed towards female journalists and journalists of color. I have a Twitter account, so I have seen the vile comments that people make and reply to journalists. According to the International Press Institute, ensuring journalists’ safety starts with news organizations building a safe environment for their employees. Additionally, journalists can support each other and keep each other safe if they are reporting at a violent protest. IMS states that the Afghan Journalists’ Safety Committee established an educational and support program for female journalists. The program includes gender-sensitive training that law enforcement agents partake in to guarantee women’s safety in the journalism industry.
If a source accused me of being biased and promoting fake news, I would use that experience to my benefit and include it as content in one of my pieces. Moreover, potential analysis and conclusions could be drawn from that experience that could turn into a narrative.
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