In A World Of 'Fake News', Remember That It's Still Important

Today, I have a bone to pick.

Now, it's not a bone to pick with everyone because I can guarantee those who read this article are not individuals this issue applies to or even refers to. The people who take the time to read this article are the ones who understand my frustrations, and they are right there with me when it comes to wanting to see a change.

The topic at hand, a progressing issue which is spreading through today's society like the plague, revolves around the importance of news. The importance of providing, listening, and keeping up to date with current events which are circulating on multiple media platform as I write this.

News, as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "a report of recent events", is the most relevant, impactful form of receiving information. Current events can range from essential information such as what's going on in the government, to the current status of the environment, what's occurring in countries overseas.

On the other side of the spectrum, news can also encompass information the public wants to know such as the fastest/most effective ways to lose weight, stories about puppies, and even what Kylie Jenner wore to the gym this past Tuesday morning.

In the United States Constitution, the first amendment addresses how freedom of the press is an important foundation this country was built on. So, in 1787, the founding fathers knew how absolutely crucial it is to allow reporters to do their jobs without consequence no matter the severity of a factual story. They were aware of the fact citizens deserved to be kept up to date with events without being held back or blocked from reporters' stories.

So now, as this has been addressed, why is it that more and more people in society are writing off journalists and the entirety of the news industry as less important each day? With the term "fake news" circulating more than it has in recent years, people are disregarding the news as dishonest, biased, and oftentimes "too depressing" to read.

There is a blatant problem with this perception of the news, and it discredits journalists everywhere as this mindset grows with younger generations deciding it's not worth their time to watch or read the news.

However, news is everywhere. You can't escape it no matter if you believe it to be false, not trustworthy, or anything other than what it intentionally represents.

With the expansion of technology, access to news is easier than ever. With apps, online newspapers, a variety of news stations airing, and around the clock access to a story of any genre at your fingertips news is more prevalent than it has ever been. Media is constantly adapting to new technologies and ways to get stories out to the public in the most effective ways.

News is meant to inform you and keep you up-to-date on the events occurring on the planet we live in. Where would we be without news? I can tell you this: we wouldn't be nearly as educated or intelligent as present ourselves to be. We would be clueless, ignorant beings going through the motions of everyday life without a single idea of what is actually happening in the surrounding world.

Without news we would be a flawed society…. or at least even more flawed than we currently are.

Thus being said, my reasoning for wishing people would give more credit to those involved in the news industry and media is self-explanatory. Individuals who have chosen a career path involving journalism, the media, or communications overall are essential to bringing the public information they rely on.

I firmly believe those who think the news in 2019 is a "joke", "fake", or not worth their time need to reevaluate their values. News brings so much crucial information into our lives that we would be lost without. Yes, there are some aspects of the news that aren't the most informative as they are deemed as clickbait or fluff pieces, however, every story is a story. And each story deserves to be written and heard by someone no matter how relevant or irrelevant it may be.

Whether you like it or not, the news is important.

It's essential. And those who bring it to us each day are equally as important because without the overworked reporters or low-budget papers we wouldn't have half the coverage apparent today. Without mass-scale news stations bringing us coverage up to the minute and online news platforms releasing stories throughout each hour, we would be simply uninformed, uneducated beings.

Those who work in media deserve more credit for the content they give us; what journalists write or broadcast deserves more attention and an incredible amount of more respect than what individuals in today's society are giving to it.