Can You Trust the News Media?

 GOVERNMENTS.  Much of what we learn in the media has to do with the people and the affairs of the government. Governments want to convince the public to support their policies and their officials. And because the media draw on content from the government sources at times cooperate with one another.

ADVERTISING. Inmost lands, media outlets must make money in order to stay in business, and most of it comes from advertising. In the United States, magazines get between 50 and 60 percent of their revenue from advertising, newspapers between 80 percent, television and radio 100 percent. Understandably, advertisers do not want to sponser programs that cast an unfavorably light on their products or style of management. If they do not like what a newa outlet is producing, they can advertise elsewhere. Knowing tis, editors may suppress newa atories that cast a negatve light on sponsers.

DISHONESTY. Not all reporters are honest. Some journalists fabricate stories. A few years ago, fo example, a reporter in Japan wanted to document how divers were defacing coral in Okinawa. After not finding any vandalized coral,he defaced some himself and then took photos of it. Photos can also be manipulated to deceived th public. Phoyograph-altering technology has become more effective, and some manipulations are practically impossible to detect.

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