I was at my grandparents' house and we started talking about what I was doing at school. My grandpa asked me what my major was and I told him that I was a Journalism major. He asked if I was going to be on TV as a newscaster or another job of the sort to which I was unsure of at the moment. Then he joked about how I could be an interviewer for newspaper and could very well be called "fake news." I laughed about the joke at the moment, but it got me thinking about how I felt about our president calling all of these big news corporations "fake news" and it hasn't really left my mind since.
Because of the conversation and other contributing factors, I started to ask myself questions about how I felt about the claims of "fake news" as a young Journalism student. I only recently switched my major to Journalism and while I still have a lot to learn about the occupation, I believe the claims of "fake news" have a negative impact on me and other young journalists like me.
First off the claims of "fake news" ruin the reputation of journalists everywhere, making them out to be deceitful and unwilling to find the real truth. Most journalists try their hardest to make sure that the news that everyone in the nation is seeing on their devices or in newspapers are the real facts. It is their job and it will soon be my job to make sure that the real facts are heard, and while there are some stories that mix the facts up, not all journalists will make it their priority to spread rumors and "fake news" around the country and to other parts of the world. As a journalist, I will try and make sure that all of my stories are factually correct so that there isn't any of the "fake news" being spread around.
Hearing the term "fake news" and watching as it deteriorates news corporations and newspaper companies everywhere may deter young journalism students from wanting to be a journalist. The criticism may be a bit too much for some to handle when taking a step into the world of journalism. But on the flip side, the criticism can help a young journalist thrive as they try to report news that needs to be heard but is also factually correct. When I hear the claims it makes me want to strive for the greater part of the news by producing news that people should hear about and is correct.
These claims also make me a bit scared because it is shutting down the voice of the people and preventing people from hearing what they need to hear. The fact that our president can shut down the press so easily makes me a bit uneasy.
It makes me ask an important question. If he can silence the news that isn't appealing to him, then what else can he silence and shut down? Would he be able to censor my thoughts and opinions for even writing this article?
The news is an important part of daily life and when news corporations are being shut down or silenced, it prevents people from hearing the news that they need to hear. It is damaging to people's reputations, and it could discourage young journalists. But it also makes younger journalists want to strive for the best and report to people the facts that are the truest they could be.
