The Dark Side of Journalism

Corrupt, conflicting and cruel. These are words that perfectly summarise the state of journalism today. While I believe journalism is full of good intentions with people who truly care about their content and have strong ethical values, many journalists have the desire to be first rather than accurate. It has become more important to be on the front page with a sleazy story than to be reporting on stories that actually matter.

Source: New York Times

There are journalists and reporters for platforms such as TMZ and the Shade Room which have an utter disregard for privacy, accuracy and use aggressive and intrusive approaches to get their stories. The most recent example is the recent death of basketball legend Kobe Bryant. It was confirmed that the star's death had been made public by TMZ before officials had time to notify his direct family. Imagine that. A woman who had just lost her husband of 20 years and daughter of 13 years found out via TMZ. This was extremely disrespectful on TMZ's part, the lack of consideration shows how journalism is becoming more about being the first to report the news without any regard for the people involved. It is worrying how this is not a first time TMZ has reported news like this and in this manner. In 2008 when singer Michael Jackson was rushed to the hospital TMZ reported of his 'alleged' death before doctors had even confirmed anything. This shows that after a decade of printing and hiring new people, TMZ has remained the same. They have remained a corporation that does not take into account families that are suffering in pain and refuse to change their methods to ensure being 'first' to report the news.

Source: Fox 26 News

Focusing on Bryant's tragic death in particular, the entire media was a chaotic mess in reporting his death. National ABC News Correspondent, Matt Gutman reported that Bryant and his four daughters were 'believed to be' killed in the crash, while BBC News used clips of basketball star LeBron James to report Bryant's death. It is troubling to see the lack of accuracy that news corporations had during this immensely difficult time for the Bryant family and the many supporters of the basketball star. This shows the mentality of reporters and journalists to seem unethical. How is the public supposed to put their trust in the companies who report on politics and current affairs if they are unable to report basic facts? There needs to be a change in how the news is reported in every case. Whether it be watching the news or reading a newspaper journalists have a responsibility to provide the public with accurate facts and information.

Source: BBC News

I was first exposed to TMZ after they inaccurately reported the death of Miley Cyrus in 2008 claiming she had been a car accident. Looking back at this, it was the very first time I was exposed to how damaging the world of journalism can be. Though TMZ is a gossip driven publication you would think that many news publications would not stoop to this level. However, over the last few years I have noticed how many publications have openly bullied people in the media and the extreme effects this can have on a person's well being. One example in particular I find interesting is the case of Meghan Markle. Since Meghan Markle became a member of the royal family after marrying Prince Harry the media became a force of nature criticising her every move and constantly comparing her to the likes of her sister in law Kate Middleton. In countless articles the press has compared the former Duchess of Sussex for her choice of wedding flowers, cradling her baby bump, fashion choices and mannerisms. Not only has this affected the couples choice to step down from the eyes of the public but it has also brought back memories for Prince Harry of how his late mother Princess Diana was bombard by the press. It shows how easy it is for the media to target and bully an individual and also the severe consequences it can have on an individual's well being.

It is so easy to blame publications for this. I do genuinely believe that we need to hold publications like TMZ, The Sun, The Daily Mail, Shade Room and other platforms responsible for posting information inaccurately and using intrusive methods to build a story. However, I also believe we as the public have a responsibility to be careful in this age of journalism. We as the public can choose not to buy and support these publications. We can choose to not make snap judgements and retweet or repost the first thing we see before getting the right information from a trustworthy source. Finally, We can also choose to be kind and not respond so quickly when we see a flashy headline tearing someone down or attempting to make pay check off of an individual's misfortune.

Pass on the message,

Miss Minority