Community Contribution #5

For this week’s discussion, I wanted to dive into the attached reading, “Media Democracy – Chapter 15,” as the spread of misinformation is so prevalent on social media. Media plays a significant role in shaping how people comprehend social issues and current events. However, the information we encounter can be skewed or can reflect a firm belief from one side. The reading mentioned that social media platforms influence the information people see through algorithms and recommendations. Although these platforms make it easier to communicate with others, they can also repeatedly expose users to very similar perspectives. For example, if someone frequently interacts with content articulating a particular political opinion, their feed might begin suggesting content with similar viewpoints. This can limit their exposure to different perspectives and make their existing beliefs seem more widely accepted. Last week, I talked about how only connecting with people in your field reduces your personal learning network, which connects to how, if you are only exposed to the same PLN, then you might miss opportunities that you would have gotten from a larger PLN. Therefore, if your PLN is small and you only interact with specific content, then that is the content that will get pushed out to you. 

In addition, I have noticed that emotional content often performs well on social media. Posts that provoke an emotional response encourage people to comment, interact, and share opinions without fully understanding the information being presented. If the media knows this about its target audience, it is likely to present information in ways that spark attention rather than require a deep understanding of the topic. In the article, “Media Democracy,” it mentions that in the New York Times, their motto is, ‘All the news that’s fit to print’, emphasizing the idea that the media is an extremely accurate source of information. I feel as though this highlights how important it is to question what you see, to do research, and to see where the source originated from; these all help contribute to being media literate. Also, the article also discusses how media companies, at the end of the day, are businesses; it is essential to become aware that they do not have your best interest in mind and they are doing what is best for their company. Their financial interests and relationships with powerful establishments likely influence the stories you receive. This made me reflect on how typically news coverage does not have your best interest in mind, and the ability to question the source you are processing is important. I found it interesting when it talks about how, if people repeatedly see the same topics being discussed, they may assume that these are the main topics being discussed even if this is not true. It is helpful to compare multiple sources, particularly when you come across political or social issues. Being aware of this can help people understand that the content they see online can often be from a skewed perspective or can just be trying to catch your attention. Overall, these were my main takeaways from the article and what I found important to share.