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Biased media is causing significant damage to today’s society. Media sources have the power to influence things as big as elections, and as small as any average day to day decision. Since 2016 with the election of Donald Trump as president, the United States has seen an uptick in the usage of the term, “fake news.” While there has been an increase in the usage of the term, the idea of fake news is something that, in reality, has been around for quite some time. Bias exists in most media forms and outlets that produce news. While this is the case, many people believe that they have the ability to spot biased forms of media.

In a book titled, “Journalism and Truth in an Age of Social Media,” by James E. Katz and Kate K. Mays, the authors talk about how fake news in reality, isn’t a new thing. They found that 84% of people believe they have the ability to spot fake news on their own. However, 67% of Americans look toward social media as their source of fake news, despite the lack of trust in these sources. As many as 14% have even willingly shared news that they knew was false. This is a concerning metric, and further increases the need for awareness, and a solution to the fake news dilemma.

FOX News:

Many of the issues surrounding biases in certain media outlets lie in the quotes and sources that they choose to print. Often, if a quote doesn’t fit the story, or writer and publishers opinion, it won’t be posted. After reading through FOX’s article, “Trump attorney concerned jury instructions could be biased toward prosecution: ‘Zero confidence’ in this judge,” by Taylor Penley, it is pretty clear where they lean. Some of the quotes are obviously biased. These include:

“This judge is the judge that determines the jury instructions. The jury instructions are the roadmap for non-attorneys and jurors to follow the law. It’s going to be critical and frankly, at this point, I have zero confidence in the fact that this person, who should not be sitting on the bench right now, will do the right thing and give jury instructions that are in an appropriate manner without any persuasion towards the prosecution” – Alina Habba, Trump’s Attorney

“There was no case… We’ve been sitting here. We saw no facts, and the last resort for the prosecution is going to be this judge with political motivations, going to give them instructions on how to decide the fate of a former president and the future president of the United States” – Alina Habba, Trump’s Attorney

Given some of former President Donald Trump’s past quotes referencing how this case is biased and / or rigged, it is clear to see why he chose Alina Habba as his defense. These quotes obviously lean towards Trump’s side in these legal battles. Alina Habba, Trump’s attorney, is clearly backing her client, and FOX news is choosing to print these quotes instead of the quotes that support the prosecution. The judge in question, Judge Juan Merchan, is a well respected judge within the judicial system, and FOX likely knows that printing this will change some peoples opinion on him.

CNN:

CNN, however, prints and releases some very different quotes regarding Trump’s trials. In CNN’s article, “Closing arguments for Trump’s hush money trial begin Tuesday. Here’s what to know,” author Devan Cole talks about the closing arguments regarding Trump’s court battle with the state of New York. The quotes here differ greatly from those of FOX’s. Clearly, these support the prosecution and New York state. Some of these biased quotes include:

“The other theme, she said, could be: ‘Look at the kind of people Trump values,’ with prosecutors arguing the former president chose to surround himself with people such as Cohen and Pecker, who were doing Trump’s bidding ahead of the 2016 election.” – Cole and Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

“And even if you do not rely on them, the third theme is going to be, ‘You don’t have to, because everything is corroborated either by other witnesses or documents or records or Trump’s own words.” – Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

“These are his people, he chose them. And he shouldn’t now get the benefit of, ‘Because they’re flawed you can’t rely on them.’” – Karen Friedman Agnifilo, Manhattan District Attorney’s Office

These quotes given by a source in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office are clearly leaning towards the prosecution. CNN, generally a left leaning media source, knows their audience. They know that if they don’t print quotes that support the prosecution, their readers may pivot to other sources.

Unbiased News: Example

Not all news is biased. There are some pretty good examples of unbiased news in the media. For example, an article from NPR’s newsletter, “Up First,” Suzanne Nuyen talks about approaching the final results of Trump’s Trials. She includes quotes from people who support both sides. Nuyen included the following quote:

“NPR’s Domenico Montanaro tells Up First that respondents had very different takes on the trial. One told NPR producer Janet Woojeong Lee that the trial affirmed for him that nobody should vote for Trump. Another called the trial a ‘farce.’ Montanaro says this is the world we live in. ‘People have very different views of our politics…especially of Donald Trump. And those views are, for the most part, very locked in.'” – Suzanne Nuyen

This examples gives two sides of the story. One side which believes in the defense, and one in the prosecution. In the article, Nuyen never picks a side. She reports on both the defense and the prosecution, allowing for fair and even coverage on the events.

Bias in Media: Yellow Journalism

While this court case is just one example of bias in media, specifically news media, it is just one small example amongst thousands that are posted each day. Readers are far more likely to read or view media that shares their own thoughts and ideals. The following videos from PBS speaks on the ideas of, “Yellow Journalism,” and how it can be used to upsell another story by talking about a historic example of this.

As seen in the video above, it is pretty clear that historically, some news sources and outlets have a history of changing headlines, and even changing the news a little to sell to their target audience. In the past, papers were more bold about it, printing headlines and information that was often just a flat out lie such as, “USS Maine Sunk by Spanish,” as explained in the video above. Exaggerated news is not a new thing, it’s just used differently now. Biased quotes, biased sources, and other ways of changing a story are very common now.

Why Biased Media is Bad

News media has the ability to influence the media like no other source really does. The media continues to influence and further divide the readers that take it all as truth. The examples above demonstrate that. Historically, stories have been exaggerated since people started getting their news from media sources, often to influence their readers in one direction or another. The Yellow Journalism section above is an excellent example of this. People should be taking in news media, and making their decisions based on fact. In today’s climate, it is almost impossible to find a news source that isn’t biased, one way or another.

Users should be able to filter through any media source, and find something unbiased to make informed decisions on. Until that happens, extremely biased news media will continue to force decisions from their readers, who may not have all the information that could be available to them.

Written by Sean Kelley

By Lauren Comeau

In this digital age, news stories covering politics and social issues are becoming more and more polarized.

In a 2020 Pew Research study, it found that 79% of Americans believe that news coverage in the country leans one-sided, while only 20% believe that these organizations deal fairly with all sides. It seems to be a growing issue in western media, especially now, as many news organizations are facing criticism for their coverage of the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched its deadly attack on Israel, prompting Israel Defense Forces to respond with several aerial campaigns and on ground operations in the Gaza Strip. Since then, over 2 million Gazans have been forced to flee their homes due to the conflict. Recent data places casualties at around 36,000 Palestinians and 1,139 Israeli citizens, including over two dozen children.

There has been an outpouring of international support to push for a ceasefire resolution and develop a long-term concept for peace between the two states. Many countries, such as Norway and Ireland, have publicly recognized Palestine as an independent state and students across the globe have taken part in encampment protests to push for their universities’ divestment from Israel-linked organizations. However, major media outlets such as the New York Times, CNN, and the Washington Post have shown consistent bias against Palestinians, failing to show the impact that this violence has had on those within the conflict zone. 

So in what ways does this news bias appear?

News bias can take many different forms, from word choice and tone, to labeling of certain groups, and even the selection of visuals for a story. While bias does have some influence over the presentation of facts, it is not always detectable. 

In the case of major U.S. newspapers and their coverage on the conflict in Gaza, the bias present often exists in the imbalances of voices covered and the favoring of Israeli narratives over others. 

In an analysis done by the Intercept, an American nonprofit news organization, they collected over 1,000 articles published during the first six weeks of the conflict from the New York Times, the Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times. They tallied the number of usages of certain key terms and the contexts they were used in. 

The results from this analysis found that there was a disproportionate coverage of deaths on each side, as well as the lack of mention of the high death rates among Gazan children and journalists during the conflict. In stories all covered by the New York Times, Washington Post, and Los Angeles Times, the words “Israeli” or “Israel” appeared more times than “Palestinian” or any other variation of that, even with Palestinian deaths rapidly outpacing that of Israelis. For every two Palestinians killed, they are only mentioned once. Also, there was noticeably higher usage of emotive terms such as “slaughter” and “massacre” when reporting on the killing of Israeli civilians, compared to that of civilian casualties.

An example of this type of behavior from reporters can be seen in the coverage stories of the October 7 attack. In a piece by the New York Times dated November 2023, the headline read “They Ran Into Bomb Shelters for Safety. Instead They Were Slaughtered”. The word choice for the headline (ex: “slaughtered”) and the tone of voice were blatantly meant to evoke sympathetic emotions from audiences, which is understandable given the situation. However, comparing that to the Times’s profile on Palestinian deaths, which was titled “ The War Turns Gaza Into a ‘Graveyard’ for Children,” there seems to be a higher level of disconnect.  In this case, “graveyard” is replacing any level of accountability for the mass killings by Israeli forces. With examples such as these, there is such identifiable bias towards the Israeli state and can be harmful in shaping people’s opinion on the conflict.

So what can be done to fix this issue?

There is a growing push for more balanced media coverage on the issue, mainly by those in support of Palestinian liberation. With many western world leaders, including the United States, refusing to recognize the horrific acts committed by Israel against Palestinians, the press can be a powerful tool in rallying public support. It is important that the news media and journalists prioritize fairness in their reporting. Although not without its difficulties, they must do what they can to reach both sides of the issue.

If the news media were to uphold a level of accountability, then it could help give a voice to the millions in Palestine begging to be heard.

Written By: Grant Jackson

Such fairness should continually be in discussion when it comes to settlements, lawsuits, policy and rules regarding collegiate athletics. For too long college athletes and their talents have been exploited by the NCAA. If there had been a better system put in place, there would be no need for $2.8 billion dollar payouts. The NIL rules and policies are simply a foot in the door that is leading to a much more beneficial college experience for many athletes. If institutions are not careful about their policies, rules, and regulations, we may see many sports leave the college landscape. On top of this, lawsuits will pile up and questions about the structure of the NCAA and their integrity will rise. 

Written by Stephanie Sartori

These days, it seems that the news is filled with stories about powerful figures falling from grace. But it’s unusual to watch two brothers go down together.

This case is about news anchor Chris Cuomo getting fired from CNN in 2021. His brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was accused of sexual harassment, and the CNN anchor helped create legal defenses and offered to find out information about the cases brought against him.

Governor Cuomo rose to fame during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 by holding news conferences where he spoke directly to citizens about the state of New York and its efforts to combat the spread of the virus. His candidness attracted people all over the country to tune in. At a time when we needed guidance, Governor Cuomo became the leader we were looking for. He even won an Emmy award for his briefings. Why is all of this important? Because it made Governor Cuomo a popular public figure, and COVID-19 was the topic of discussion when he appeared on his brother’s show.

Chris Cuomo also had a following. He spent time reporting on various news stations in his career, and eventually became the anchor of Cuomo Prime Time on CNN. By the first quarter of 2021, it had over 2 million viewers total, achieving one of the top spots among political commentary shows and one of the top shows on CNN. Both brothers were involved in politics and became nationally known around the same time.

The problems for the Cuomo brothers began when Governor Cuomo was accused of sexual harassment by a former woman staffer in 2020, in the midst of his popular news conferences. Earlier this year, the justice department concluded that he harassed, or was complicit in the harassment, of around a dozen women. He denied all the allegations and eventually resigned from his role in August of 2021.

If you’re Chris Cuomo, how do you report on the latest political news when your brother is the news? At first, he and CNN acknowledged that the governor shouldn’t be a guest on his show during this time at all. But they reneged; the network knew the brothers would have good banter and make for entertaining TV. Cuomo hosted his brother on his CNN show multiple times. It seems that they never actually discussed the governor’s sexual harassment allegations on air, though. Cuomo made a statement to say he knew that he can’t discuss his brother’s legal issues on his show. Instead, the brothers talked about COVID-19 and the governor’s popular news briefings. But behind the scenes, Cuomo was helping the governor closely. He acted as an advisor to help determine his defense against the allegations, and he offered to use his “sources” to find out how many women would eventually come forward against his brother.

This posed ethical questions. Should a political news anchor get closely involved in legal affairs of a political figure? Should he use his connections to find out about any future allegations or breaking stories about his brother? Even if they didn’t discuss the allegations, could he discuss other topics with him while still remaining impartial?

CNN determined that the host’s involvement was, indeed, unethical. They conducted an investigation and suspended Cuomo at first. He was then fired in December of 2021 after additional information was found. This was the right decision in order to keep the integrity of the network. It’s not unethical to support your family, but it is when you are part of his defense team because you can’t remain impartial to the story, whether you report on it or not. Ultimately, CNN and Chris Cuomo are both to blame; they should have kept with their original plan and never let Governor Cuomo on the show. This created a slippery slope for the CNN anchor. Ethics should have been considered and valued over the desire to make entertaining TV. The only way around this would have been if Cuomo stepped away from his show while the allegations against his brother were being investigated, like journalism professor Steven Thrasher says. Instead, Cuomo showed where his loyalties lie: family first.

References:

Bauder, D. (2021, March). CNN’s Chris Cuomo says he ‘obviously’ can’ cover brother. Retrieved from Associated Press website: https://apnews.com/article/chris-cuomo-andrew-cuomo-cnn-coverage-dc8f9661f53a69790887af17857228d3

Chris Cuomo explains why he can’ cover recent allegations about his brother [Video file]. Retrieved from CNN on https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2021/03/02/governor-andrew-cuomo-news-cuomo-cpt-sot-vpx.cnn

Dwyer, C. (2020, November). Andrew Cuomo to receive international Emmy for ‘masterful’ covid-19 briefings. Retrieved from NPR website: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/11/21/937445923/andrew-cuomo-to-receive-international-emmy-for-masterful-covid-19-briefings

Li, D. K. (2021, November). More details revealed about Chris Cuomo’s role as adviser tot brother, former governor. Retrieved from NBC News website: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/details-revealed-chris-cuomos-role-advisor-brother-former-governor-rcna6975

Lybrand, H. and Cole, D. (2024, January). Justice department settlement concludes Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed state employees. Retrieved from CNN website: https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/26/politics/doj-cuomo-sexual-harassment-new-york/index.html

Milligan, S. (2020, March). How coronavirus made Andrew Cuomo America’s governor. Retrieved from U.S. News & World Report website: https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2020-03-23/how-coronavirus-made-andrew-cuomo-americas-governor

Sarnoff, M. (2021, April). CNN’s Chris Cuomo wins key ratings demo in the quarter for first time ever. Retrieved from Mediaite website: https://www.mediaite.com/tv/cnns-chris-cuomo-wins-key-ratings-demo-in-the-quarter-for-first-time-ever/

Stelter, B. (2021, December). CNN fires Chris Cuomo. Retrieved from CNN Business website: https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/04/media/cnn-fires-chris-cuomo/index.html

U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Public Affairs. (2024, January). Justice department secures settlement agreement with state of New York executive chamber to resolve sexual harassment and retaliation claims under title VII. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-secures-settlement-agreement-state-new-york-executive-chamber-resolve

Villeneuve, M. (2021, August). Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigns over sexual harassment allegations. Retrieved from Associated Press website: https://apnews.com/article/andrew-cuomo-resigns 17161f546bb83c32a337036ecf8d2a34#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20(AP)%20—%20Gov,of%20the%20COVID%2D19%20pandemic.

Written by Hannah Delaney

Public speculation of celebrity sexuality is not a new trend. Who is dating who, is a constant topic of gossip and debate in media spheres. This is not unique to the LGBTQ+ community. However, speculation of sexual orientation in the media crosses an ethical boundary that cannot be compared to discussions of straight sexuality. The real issue is when those engaging in these debates intentionally, or unintentionally, out closeted celebrities.

Outing is the act of publicly revealing the sexual orientation or gender identity of an LGBTQ+ individual without their consent. In the past, outing was often intended to discredit individuals or cause physical or emotional harm. As acceptance of LGBTQ+ identities has increased, outing has taken on new forms with different intentions. 

Queer fans often speculate celebrity sexual orientation as a way of connecting with an individual’s art or the characters they portray. There are few mainstream portrayals of queer characters and groups that are both encouraging and accurate.

According to Jaimie Lorite, LGBTQ+ youth are, “hungry for representation. It’s understandable that a person who is coming to terms with who they are, figuring out their identity, what they like and who they fall in love with, needs to have some role models. So, you project yourself onto other people.” Online spaces that discuss sexuality of characters and celebrities are often some of the first places where queer youth experience a sense of acceptance and community. Although, even Lorite admits that, “those projections can go too far.” 

Online communities have grown protective over queer characters, roles and spaces. While this is not inherently bad, it has caused some fans to be apprehensive and critical of who is “allowed” into these spaces. This spouts accusations of queerbaiting online that lead to forced outings of celebrities.

Queerbaiting is a marketing technique used to engage LGBTQ+ audiences. This involves promises of or allusions to queer representation in entertainment, while having minimal concrete follow through. Typically, this accusation is made at studios or executives, but has recently been used against real people who choose to not disclose their sexuality. In this sense, when someone accuses a celebrity of “queerbaiting” they mean that they are presenting themselves as queer and are intentionally maintaining ambiguity about their sexuality in order to reap the benefits of LGBT support without being a part of the community. This accusation is also cast at straight presenting actors who portray queer characters.

While these accusations may be made with the intent of “protecting” queer spaces, it more often than not puts closeted celebrities in a position where they are forced to come out in order to protect their career and reputation in queer circles. 

For example, Kit Connor gained fame from his role as Nick Nelson on the Netflix series, Heartstopper. Shortly after the show’s release, fans on Twitter began criticizing Netflix for casting Connor, an apparently straight actor, in a bisexual role. This speculation gained traction and led to fans harassing the star through the platform for not being upfront about his sexuality. In October of 2022, he took to Twitter to respond to these allegations saying,

“back for a minute. i’m bi. congrats for forcing an 18 year old to out himself. i think some of you missed the point of the show. Bye.”

Another example of this sort of “outing” occurred more recently with singer Billie Eilish.  In 2021, Eilish released a music video for her song, “Lost Cause”. The video had the public accusing her of sexualizing queer female relationships in order to get views. The singer did not comment on her sexuality publicly until her November 2023 cover story for Variety Magazine. Though she did not provide a label to herself, she mentioned her attraction to women and many took this as her way of coming out. In December at the Variety Hitmaker’s Event, a journalist for the magazine addressed Eilish on the red carpet, pressing if she “intended to come out as bisexual” in her cover shoot. She later took to Instagram saying,

“Thanks variety for my award and for also outing me on a red carpet at 11 am instead of talking about anything else that matters.” 

In these situations, both Eilish and Connor were ridiculed across media for their chosen expression of sexuality and pressured to come out on terms that were not their own.

But how will we know if a celebrity is queer if they don’t come out? We won’t. A hard pill to swallow for social media users and journalists alike is that no one is entitled to know someone’s sexuality. Celebrity or not, all individuals deserve privacy when it comes to disclosure of sexual orientation. 

For social media users: think before you Tweet. Users need to be more socially conscious of their activity online, especially in regards to situations like this. While users may have intentions of protecting their community, they only further perpetuate harm and hate that the LGBTQ+ community is staunchly against by engaging in these activities.

As for journalists, when it comes to discussing a celebrity’s sexuality, follow their lead. Sexuality is a hot topic, but one’s journey should not be sensationalized against the will of the individual. Fan debates do not equate to front page news. Be an ally. Sensitivity and loyalty to the groups you are reporting on in these contexts further ensures accuracy, credibility and integrity in your reporting. And remember, in the words of Grace Huntly, 

“People’s sexualities are not the business of their employers or fans. It is wrong to speculate about others’ sexuality or pressure them to come out for any reason. Sexuality is personal and should not require justification or confirmation.”

References:

admin, S. F. (2024, February 5). LGBTQIA Resource Center Glossary. LGBTQIA Resource Center. https://lgbtqia.ucdavis.edu/educated/glossary#:~:text=Terms%20also%20used%20that%20correlate,to%20keep%20this%20information%20secret.

Collins, R. (2023, December 4). Billie Eilish accuses variety of “outing” her in cover story. BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/newsbeat-67611825

Fried, S. (2019, May 13). Queerbait. Medium. https://medium.com/@sfried001/queerbait-bee6fa21edb1

Huntley, G. (2023, January 16). Opinion: Celebrities don’t owe anyone their sexuality. The Charlatan, Carleton’s independent newspaper. https://charlatan.ca/opinion-celebrities-dont-owe-anyone-their-sexuality/

Lorite, J. (2022, November 11). The Kit Connor Dilemma: Must we know an actor’s sexuality before they can play a gay role? EL PAÍS English. https://english.elpais.com/culture/2022-11-11/the-kit-connor-dilemma-must-we-know-the-sexuality-of-actors-before-they-can-play-a-gay-role.html

Matthew’s Place. (2023, December 28). This is why the media needs respect our (queer) privacy. Medium. https://medium.com/matthews-place/this-is-why-the-media-needs-respect-our-queer-privacy-56d676c205de

NBCU Academy. (2024, January 31). Reporting on queerness and what it means to come out. https://nbcuacademy.com/come-out-celebrities/

“outing” of LGBT celebrities like rebel Wilson has a harrowing past – media diversity institute. Media Diversity Institute – Media Diversity Institute. (2022, June 14). https://www.media-diversity.org/outing-of-lgbt-celebrities-like-rebel-wilson-has-a-harrowing-past/

Ramsden, S. (2021, June 15). The Billie Eilish queerbaiting controversy, explained. Bustle. https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/the-billie-eilish-queerbaiting-controversy-explained

By Hailey Frosolone

When you read news online, do you ever stop to think if it is true? If a celebrity posts a story, do you question their sources? If you answered no, you should start.

Reporting news by a medium first began with newspapers. Since then, journalism has continued to evolve, from newspapers to radio, television, and most recently, online platforms. With each new form of media came new laws and codes of ethics. These were put in place to protect journalists and the public. One of the biggest rules for reporters is to tell the truth.

Currently, we have reached a point in history where it might be time for new regulations. Fake news is not a fresh concept but has reached new heights. Bakir and McStay defined fake news as “…news that is entirely false and deliberately misleading…” (as cited in Tsang, 2021, p. 1060). An example of fake news is during the pandemic, with false COVID-19 remedies. Fake news goes entirely against the journalist’s code of ethics. The use of social media is the reason for reaching new heights. Information is spread quickly with social media.

“The new technologies are means of communication have facilitated an information environment that makes it easier for misinformation to circulate, with social media becoming a breeding ground for fast-spreading fake news” -Messaoud (p. 26).

Online platforms give the public information instantly with twenty-four-seven access. This can cause an overwhelming amount of content. As stated by Stephanie Tsang, “…it is unreasonable to expect them to check the validity of every single piece of information they encounter. In fact, they might only fact-check information that they find suspicious.” Assuming a large sum of content material daily, it would be impossible to always fact-check. Online platforms allow the public to distribute their own news. “Social media ensures fast publication, free circulation, and lax censorship, which is all a rumor needs to spread widely” as stated by Messaoud (p. 28). Typically, these misleading stories are to sway someone’s opinions.

NBC News and USA Today have both reported on cases of fake news that show just how believable AI images can be. In both cases, an image was manipulated to cause panic in others. The intention worked, as many thought it was true and re-share the stories. In the NBC News example, the image caused changes in the stock market.

“Unlike humans, machines do not have a code of ethics; they are technological systems that follow the guidelines set by their programmers” – Rubio and Torrijos (2024)

Fake news is an ethical concern because it can lead to many harmful things. Misinformation can damage one’s reputation, form biases, enforce racism, and cause a crisis. This is because, with AI, there is no reporting on both sides. Instead, it only generates one-sided stories. These stories tend to catch the attention of those with the same beliefs. They then feel their views have been confirmed.

Unfortunately, fake news tends to catch the attention of the public. Shin and Kee have said, “misinformation spreads more rapidly and broadly than reliable information does…” (p. 241). This is because, typically, fake news is viewed as bad or sad news. Researchers believe that people tend to read negative articles over positive ones as there are more “…potential costs of negative information far outweigh the potential benefits of positive information” (Soroka, 2015). For example, the public would click on a potentially fake story about stocks going down over a real story about a food back feeding millions. As there is a chance to lose money, the reader will click on the story of stocks going down.  

With fake news growing, regulations need to be put in place. Guidelines need to be established for those reporting fake news to take responsibility. As this type of news can cause crisis, the creator needs to understand the consequences of their actions. A potential consequence for the reporter could be, being sued for the spread of false information.

References:

AIContentfy Team. (2023, March 5). The ethics of AI-generated fake news. AIContentfy. https://aicontentfy.com/en/blog/ethics-of-ai-generated-fake-news

Ben Messaoud, M. (2021). Social media and the COVID-19 pandemic: The dilemma of fake news clutter vs. social responsibility. Journal of Arab & Muslim Media Research, 14(1), 25–45. https://doi-org.proxy3.noblenet.org/10.1386/jammr_00023_1

Calvo Rubio, L. M., & Rojas Torrijos, J. L. (2024). Criteria for journalistic quality in the use of artificial intelligence. Communication & Society, 37(2), 247–259. https://doi-org.proxy3.noblenet.org/10.15581/003.37.2.247-259

CDC Team (2024, April 9). About COVID-19. U.S. Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/about-covid-19.html

Gomez, J. (2024, March 1). Viral article used AI to create photo of Disney World’s Cinderella Castle on fire. USA Today. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/03/01/ai-photo-cinderella-castle-on-fire/72786912007/

Indeed Editorial Team (2023, July 31). What Are the Different Types of Media? https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/types-of-media

[NBC News]. (2023, May 23). Fake image of explosion near Pentagon stirs concerns over artificial intelligence [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UPnagmS-YY

Nyilasy, G. (n.d.). Fake News in the Age of COVID-19. Faculty of Business and Economics. https://fbe.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/fake-news-in-the-age-of-covid-19

Shin, D., & Kee, K. F. (2023). Editorial Note for Special Issue on Al and Fake News, Mis(dis)information, and Algorithmic Bias. Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media, 67(3), 241–245. https://doi-org.proxy3.noblenet.org/10.1080/08838151.2023.2225665

Society of Professional Journalists (2014, September 6). SPJ Code of Ethics. https://www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp

Soroka, S. (2015, May 25). Why do we pay more attention to negative news than to positive news? The London School of Exonomica and Political Science. https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandpolicy/why-is-there-no-good-news/

Tsang, S. J. (2021). Motivated Fake News Perception: The Impact of News Sources and Policy Support on Audiences’ Assessment of News Fakeness. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 98(4), 1059–1077. https://doi-org.proxy3.noblenet.org/10.1177/1077699020952129

U.S. Department of State (n.d.). Artificial Intelligence (AI). https://www.state.gov/artificial-intelligence/

By Jake Heerman

Misinformation also known as “false information” is “inaccurate information…intended to deceive.” (Oxford Language Dictionary) This form of information can be dangerous especially when used with health knowledge and guidance. The issue with misinformation can be understood with a quote from KFF President and CEO Drew Altman, “Most people aren’t true believers in the lies or the facts about health issues; they are in a muddled middle…The public’s uncertainty leaves them vulnerable to misinformation but is also the opportunity to combat it.” (KFF Misinformation Poll). This citation conveys that with the existence of truth and lies, it’s hard to distinguish which information can help or harm you.

The increased presence of social media has made misinformation spread like wildfire. Social media consumes our lives daily. The desire for health-related information has increased since COVID-19. (HHS) Social media allows for the instantaneous spread of information regardless of its credibility or accuracy.

At the height of the pandemic, (Weekly) death rates reached almost 26,000 in October 2020 according to the CDC statistics. As of May 25, 2024, the total deaths related to COVID-19 are at a whopping 1,191,702 (CDC). The rollercoaster ride of the pandemic changed the world as we knew it. How we interact with each other, our opinions on health, and how we share information in a market flooded with deception.

The COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for health misinformation. The pandemic caused chaos and confusion. The tough times brought tougher questions with impossible answers. The knowledge sought by our communities was like “nailing jelly to a wall”. Something that seemed impossible due to our lack of details on this new and ever-changing disease. In the early stages of the pandemic, little knowledge of the origin of the disease and how to protect yourself from it was available. The world’s greatest minds worked together to aid the outbreak, but even then, the correct information got lost in the plethora of misinformation. Social media was powered by factors such as politics and extremism. The necessary news got lost in the void of misinformation and divided our society.

To vaccine or not vaccine? That is the question. Republican or Democrat, positive or negative, misguided or advised. The factors at play during the pandemic led to the spread of misinformation. That said, the role of social media during this challenging time also did more harm than good. The need for information was of the utmost importance, but so was the sharing of it. Who could share first and how could they reach an audience that would listen? This is still the case today. The presence of COVID-19 has settled though health misinformation is still running rapidly in the timelines and feeds of knowledge-seeking individuals. This epidemic started with the toilet paper crisis but has spread like an infectious disease. There is a need for protection against this new plague, social (media) distancing, misinformation vaccines, or masks. what is the solution to our next pandemic?

Social media is a privilege that we must take seriously. We have an audience at our fingertips. It’s the ability to share stories and memories. It’s a place to like and follow like-minded people. It’s also a platform for hate and violence. Understanding the power you possess with social media should aid you in the usage of it. Uncle Ben said to Spiderman, “ With great power comes great responsibility”. This couldn’t be further from the truth with the superpowers of social media. We as the users of social media have a responsibility to share truths along with our opinions. This is especially vital when it comes to those individuals who have large audiences or credibility. A scholarly article written by Stefano Di Sotto and Marco Viviani covers many ideas that could prevent the spread of misinformation. “methods based on the use of tools designed to allow any user to be able to distinguish information from misinformation even without prior medical knowledge.” (Health Misinformation Detection). This tool can help inform the users that the information they are receiving is opinion rather than fact. As an Instagram user, I have seen this kind of tool being used before.

We aren’t like Spiderman, swinging from building to building honing super strength. Our health is volatile and precious, and therefore should not be left in the hands of untrustworthy people who intend to misguide us. Technology can help us separate truth from inaccurate information aiding us in our health knowledge search.

The goal of this blog is to share how to be informed correctly about health. I introduced the term misinformation in a way to inform the reader about its presence. There isn’t a way to get rid of misinformation, but there is a way to reveal it and avoid it. First, as a distributor of information, you must only share what you know to be truth or fact. Second, as the receiver of information, you must seek credible sources. The checklist below leaves out the most important aspect which is bias, affliction, or opinions. Health shouldn’t be determined by red or blue, but rather credible or not. Health isn’t politically affiliated and therefore should not be disregarded by what side the author is on, but rather their credentials, education, and knowledge. Be the change we so desperately need in the health media. Use this Health Misinformation Checklist to better navigate health-related information reported by the media.

By Kyle Teixeira

Artificial intelligence was created for machines to learn and solve complex tasks created by humans. AI has given the world many benefits like filtering out spam in our email or opening your phone with Face ID, but there have been just as many issues that allow people to do unethical and sometimes illegal things. Deepfakes are one of the AI inventions that were first created for entertainment purposes, yet soon turned sour at the hands of bad individuals.

Deepfake pornography can use deep learning algorithms that are trained to remove clothes from images of women and men and replace them with images of naked body parts. Deepfake porn is a major privacy issue that has currently affected those with high amounts of following including U.S. representative for New York’s 14th congressional district Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She has spoken out against AI porn, as she is one of the many victims of these non-consensual images and videos.

This is increasingly putting “everyday people” at risk of “being targeted by this kind of reputational, sexual violence that is at its core exploitative” said Ocasio-Cortez. There is currently very little that has been done to counteract this new form of sexual abuse. AOC is one of the leading government officials introducing the Defiance Act, which is a piece of legislation that would make the distribution of AI porn of non-consenting individuals illegal, as mentioned in the video below.

Popular musician Taylor Swift is another celebrity who was a victim at the hands of Deepfake AI. Artificially generated images of Swift went viral on Twitter (X) over a month ago and have sparked a discussion of putting together federal legislation that regulates Deepfakes. The posts of Swift received more than 45 million views, 24,000 reposts, and hundreds of thousands of likes in less than 17 hours. This type of abuse needs to be taken more seriously as these victims have to watch their perpetrators get little to no repercussions. The account that posted these explicitly altered pictures of Swift only received a suspension for violating the Twitter (X) community guidelines.

Deepfakes have not only caused issues for celebrities. A 27-year-old woman from California faced harassment after a man she rejected created a video of him and her doing explicit things. “This whole experience was really traumatizing, he deserves to face at least a fraction of accountability for what he did to me,” said the woman who decided to stay anonymous to prevent further harassment. This just proves that anyone can be a victim and how easy it is for someone to use this technology.

It only takes a few images for someone to use this form of AI technology. It is now easier than ever to make a Deepfake of someone and Congress must find a way to hold those accountable that misuse this software. While the U.S. is still taking its time to get the Defiance Act through the House and Senate, Australia has recently introduced a ban on the sharing of non-consensual Deepfake pornography.

Deepfakes have created a massive privacy issue that currently yields no punishment for those who abuse it. This is a form of sexual harassment and abuse that should be treated just as such. Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus addressed the media on the introduction of the new bill that will carry a six-year jail sentence for anyone caught distributing Deepfake pornography. “We know it overwhelmingly affects women and girls who are the target of this kind of deeply offensive and harmful behavior. It can inflict deep, long-lasting harm on victims,” Mr. Dreyfus said.

As the days go by, artificial intelligence continues to learn and expand. Legislation has to be able to keep up and prevent this sort of technology from being able to be misused. We, as citizens, must also show our support in fighting back against these sorts of privacy issues and make sure Congress is doing what is right in protecting the people. Deepfake pornography isn’t just an invasion of privacy, but also a form of sexual harassment that can cause deep emotional scaring on any of its victims.

Artificial intelligences, is defined by IBM as, ”Artificial intelligence, or AI, is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities”. The once popular idea used in many science fiction novels and films, like “Blade runner” and “Neuromancer”, has now become the most talked about and widely debated subject when it comes to the advancement of technology moving forward.

This blog looks to analyze the effects ethically Artificial Intelligence can cause to the landscape of communications and media.

Artificial Intelligence has been around since the dawn of computers, and as scientist develop more technology that changes the framework of media, A.I. becomes a lot more functional and intelligent. Only have way in the year of 2024, A.I. has already become impactful, playing a huge part in the pop culture event which was the Kendrick Lamar/ Drake beef, and has played a part in a plethora of social media trends, etc.

The ethical issue that A.I. creates that has been widely discussed as of recently is it’s effect on media. While A.I. is proving to be very useful and a tool that all types of corporations are beginning to implement into their strategies, the question that many are beginning to ask is as A.I. advances what happens to original Human creativity when it comes to media?

With the advancement of technology comes the advancement in A.I.’s ability to produce fake information, and this is discussed in numerous amounts of academic journals. For example, according to an article titled, ”Fanning the flames of artificial intelligence in the media: beyond efficiency and productivity gains”, Artificial Intelligence poses a threat to media as it has the ability to create very sophisticated deep fakes that can cause mass hysteria .

Humans have emotions and feelings, we understand that the world can change their thoughts and opinions in a heartbeat. Therefore, with A.I. not being having the capability in its design to decipher that change on its own, how can companies trust the technology to help with advertising or marketing.

In an academic Journal titled “The Effect of Artificial Intelligence Supported Advertising Films on Students: Cola-Cola Masterpiece Commercial Movie Example”, The authors talk about the relationship between advertisement and A.I., as well as the fact that A.I. can’t mimic human emotion when its said, “AI systems are designed for a specific purpose, they can only fulfill that purpose” (Çavuş & Yılmaz 3).

A.I. lack of understanding of human emotion brings a strong ethical issue that will always be a critique of A.I. until technology is advanced enough to be able to actually make media that feels man made.

In an articled titled, “THE IMPACT OF BRAND-VOICE INTEGRATION AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING”, the authors talk about how A.I. can be very useful in ,marketing as it provides, “AI tools help marketers create better products, deliver more relevant advertising, and understand patterns of audience data” (Priyanga, 2023).

However, again an issue that all users of AI will run into is the simple fact that A.I. doesn’t have the capability of a human so with that brings an issue of the technology potentially being faulty and overall its use being limited.

For example, in the article it states that, “In conclusion, although Chat GPT represents a promising tool for content generation and brand voice, its successful use requires careful scrutiny, effective collaboration with subject matter experts, and consideration of the appropriate approach to implementing AI in the context of building and maintaining an authentic and effective brand voice” (Murár, Kubovics, Jurišová 12)

The article points out how advertisment ambassadors have used the technology to conduct writings for social media campaigns, but even with A.I. being useful their still needs to be human observation done when using A.I. “Using Chat GPT often only achieves an initial draft of the paper, which requires editing and proofreading by experienced practitioners”(Murár,Kubovics,Jurišová 12). “GPT chat, although driven by advanced technologies, still depends on the availability of extensive and representative data to better understand and create content in line with the characteristics of a given brand” (Murár,Kubovics,Jurišová 12). This further proving that A.I. isn’t fully reliable yet.

Overall, the technology is the future, Whether we like it or not Artificial Intelligence is here to stay, it’s gonna continue to be used, especially as many companies are looking at the technology as a cheaper alternative to the traditional ways of marketing.

Companies will try anything to make their lives easier and A.I.has the potential of giving them the same success and opportunities that they had before without needing to hire a whole marketing team to do it.

In addition, A.I. used in the wrong hands can lead to misinformation being spread rapidly. There are numerous examples of situations that have happened recently where

But until the technology is perfected, the risks of A.I. potentially putting out wrong messaging and missing the mark on what consumers want is very high and potentially dangerous.

Thank You,

Nicholas Lenon

References:

Murár, P., Kubovics, M., & Jurišová, V. (2024). The impact of brand-voice integration and artificial intelligence on social media marketing. Communication Today, 50–63. https://doi.org/10.34135/communicationtoday.2024.vol.15.no.1.4 

Çavuş, S., & Yılmaz, M. (Eds.). (2024). The Effect of Artificial Intelligence Supported Advertising Films on Students: Cola-Cola Masterpiece Commercial Movie Example. TOJET: The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology , 23(1), 153–162. 

What will happen to marketing in the age of ai?: Jessica Apotheker: Ted. YouTube. (2023, December 12). https://youtu.be/3MwMII8n1qM?si=2P_uNJONUOkmJ2AG 

Codina, L., Ufarte-Ruiz, M.-J., & Borden, S.-L. (2024). Introduction. fanning the flames of artificial intelligence in the media: Beyond Efficiency and Productivity gains. Communication & Society, 221–225. https://doi.org/10.15581/003.37.2.221-225 

What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?. IBM. (2023, August 25). https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence 

Written By: Nate Frontiero

(Biden speaking at a press conference last week abc7ny.com/post/joe-biden-press-conference-live-president-deliver-remarks/14895918/)

As the 2024 election draws near, the two candidates are constantly in the news. Both Joe Biden and Donald Trump have all of the public eye on them. Anything that they say or do is going to be heavily examined and scrutinized. America has many major news networks, and their coverage and opinion of Biden often depends on if their network is left or right wing. This has caused some bias from these networks on their Biden coverage.

Media bias is defined as “The tendency of news media to report in a way that reinforces a viewpoint, worldview, preference, political ideology, corporate or financial interests, moral framework, or policy inclination, instead of reporting in an objective way.” (Mastrine, 2022) We see this often from networks. Many times, these networks do not even try to hide this bias.

For example, NBC and their media coverage is often seen as favoring the democrats and the left. After an appearance on NBC’s “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, it was said that Fallon “did his job for Biden, which was to offer the president a friendly national platform without challenging him in any capacity.” (Concha, 2021) Fallon even said to Biden “You gotta keep your head down and keep doing the right thing, while adding that he’s “bringing class back to the presidency.”(Concha, 2021) Additionally, CNN reports that liberals “are angry that the NY times is biased towards Trump and harsh on Biden.” (Hays, 2024) However, this report came from a Fox News article.

(President Biden filming a virtual interview with Jimmy Fallon for his night show .flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/51898317734)

This just goes to show some of the glaring bias that has been pointed out in our media landscape. Fox news writing an article that says CNN claims liberals are upset with NY times media coverage of Biden shows you that not only does CNN have a left wing bias, but that Fox also has a bias towards the right wing. It is also clearly evident with the way that these and other networks structure their articles and content that there is a clear bias.

A perfect example of this is the Ukraine situation. Fox is often critical of Biden for giving them aid; even going as far as having a disgruntled farmer on the show who says it is a disgrace Ukraine gets money from America as “we are facing extinction.” (Miller, 2024) On the other hand, CNN often voices their pleasure with Biden on this topic, even titling an article “Biden signs foreign aid bill providing crucial military assistance to Ukraine.” (Williams et al., 2024) 

Another good example to look at would be the border crisis. A CNN article was titled “Biden seizes on tougher border measures as he tries to fend off Trump attacks”. (Alvarez, 2024) Another NBC article was titled “Senate Republicans block Biden security bill as they campaign on border chaos.” (Kapur & Santaliz, 2024) These are pro Biden, as opposed to Fox News saying on the SAME topic that “Biden enforced over 60 executive orders to make the border crisis worse”, (Co, 2024) and the NY post saying  “Biden alone owns the border crisis — and the chaos it’s caused.” (Post, 2024)

It is apparent that Biden gets different coverage from different networks on the same issue. It is also clear that media bias is a real thing. Whether you are a network that is catering to the left-wing or the right wing, you are going to write what fits into your audience. There are many ways to determine which network will give you what kind of content. From there, you can make an informed decision for yourself to determine where you get your news on politics and Biden. 

(A chart outlining the different networks and the extent of their media bias www.allsides.com/media-bias)

The image above shows each major network and how biased they are in their coverage. Dark blue L means they are left wing, light blue L means that they only lean left. C is center or neutral and the dark red r means right wing, while the light red r means that they only lean right.

I would say that news networks show their bias either through excessive praise or excessive slander. I also think that the way they title certain news articles and TV segments also heavily tie into this. They are often time very dramatic, with words and phrases meant to rile up a certain fan base and add emphasis to the point they want to get across. It becomes an overall theme in all of their content and bodies of work. This is something you should always be aware of when consuming media.

In conclusion, media bias is something that we see around the world on every topic. However, it seems worse when it comes to the political aspect of the media and journalism world. It is safe to say that Joe Biden is hoping that favorable media coverage from left wing networks will give him a much needed boost at the polls this coming November. 

Works Cited

Alvarez, P. (2024, January 27). Biden seizes on tougher border measures as he tries to fend off Trump attacks | CNN politics. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/27/politics/biden-border-shut-down-us-mexico-immigration/index.html 

Board, P. E. (2024a, February 17). Biden alone owns the border crisis – and the chaos it’s caused. New York Post. https://nypost.com/2024/02/17/us-news/biden-alone-owns-the-border-crisis-and-the-chaos-its-caused/ 

Co, V. (2024, May 8). Biden enforced over 60 executive orders to make the border crisis worse: Rep. young Kim: Fox Business Video. Fox Business. https://www.foxbusiness.com/video/6352539972112 

Hays, G. (2024, March 8). CNN reports Liberals “angry” that NY Times is biased towards Trump, harsh on Biden: “shameful.” Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/cnn-reports-liberals-angry-ny-times-biased-trump-harsh-biden-shameful 

Joe Concha, O. C. (2021b, December 12). Amid multiple crises, Biden runs to NBC’s safe space with Jimmy Fallon. The Hill. https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/585465-amid-multiple-crises-biden-runs-to-nbcs-safe-space-with-jimmy-fallon/ 

Julie Mastrine media bias rating. AllSides. (2024, February 8). https://www.allsides.com/news-source/julie-mastrine-media-bias 

Kapur, S., & Santaliz, K. (2024, May 23). Senate Republicans block border security bill as they campaign on Border Chaos. NBCNews.com. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/senate-republicans-block-border-security-bill-campaign-border-chaos-rcna153607 

Miller, A. M. (2024, February 18). 4th gen farmer blasts biden admin for sending billions to Ukraine as US farmers suffer: “facing extinction.” Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/4th-gen-farmer-blasts-biden-admin-for-sending-billions-to-ukraine-as-u-s-farmers-suffer-facing-extinction 

Williams, M., Saenz, A., & Liptak, K. (2024, April 30). Biden signs foreign aid Bill providing crucial military assistance to Ukraine | CNN politics. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/24/politics/biden-signs-foreign-aid-bill/index.html