FakeNews, Propaganda and Media Bias: An illusion of the truth?The internet has revolutionised the way information is presented and consumed. The traditional newspaper, for example, is no longer the main medium of news coverage. This therefore, has meant that mass media, in general, has had to find new ways of creating money. As a result, one could argue, that the ‘news’ is not objective but rather socially manufactured through a selective process. Events happen, but this doesn’t automatically mean that they will make the headlines or the news coverage at all. As a result, one could argue that the media is biased and is altered to represent certain views and ideologies. The concept of fake news and the deliberate misleading and deceptive information presented in the media could take the form of propaganda. As a society we have become more media saturated but are these agencies of communication, we refer to as mass media, transmitting an illusion of the truth? Onecould argue that the ‘news’ is socially constructed and as McQuail noted, it isnot objective or impartial (McQuail, 1998). The reality is that the ‘news’ issocially manufactured as a result of a selective process carried out by gatekeepers: the editors, journalists and proprietors. This leaves room for media bias asthe news is essentially influenced by a group or individuals own opinions andjudgements. The news is not just simply a collection of facts but rather acollection of knowledge made up of information which is ‘loaded’ reflecting aninterpretation. The process of selection, one could argue, is influenced byorganizational constraints, values of media outlets and ideology. Thislinks directly to the Marxist theory: that the news is fabricated and is an ideologicalapparatus which helps maintain power. Media outlets shape the ‘news’ and as aresult we get injected, like the hypodermic syringe model suggests, with ideasthat may be an illusion of the truth. As Miliband noted the media shapes how wethink about the world we live in (Miliband, 1976) therefore if media bias isinfluencing the news, important issues like poverty, which show weakness in thecapitalist system, are likely to be concealed. In contrast, media outlets areconstantly providing us with information regarding political, financial andindustrial states, for example recently: the benefits of Brexit, whichreinforces corporate values.Forexample, during the EU referendum, media outlets helped broadcast the idea thatthe £350 million sent to the EU weekly would be used to help the NHS instead,if voters opted to vote Brexit. However, after the referendum, the Brexitleaders decided to abandon the pledge (The Guardian, 2017). This case clearlydemonstrates exploitation through misleading the public, as the NHS was a topicthat they felt strongly about. This was a major political change, Marx wouldargue that the media transmitted the conservative ideology here in theinterests of the elite. This could also be classified as a case of propaganda.As Herman and Chomsky noted the media participating in propaganda campaigns isnothing new (Herman and Chomsky, 1988). Taking this into account, one couldargue that the media purposefully selected facts “designed to deceive us” (Brennen,2017) and encourage Brexit. The media is dependent on the government andbusinesses as sources of information. These overlapping interests mean there isa certain degree of solidarity between them, as Highfield notes the personaland political are highly interlinked (Highfield, 2016), which means the effectwas inevitable.Furthermore,analysing the headlines and news coverage, there seems to be a pattern wherecertain events are reported more than others, which reinforces the idea thatmedia outlets choose what makes the ‘news’. For example, recently we gotcontinuous reports and headlines which revolved around Hurricane Harvey whichhad a death toll of eighty-two (Moravec and Moravec, 2017). On the other hand,the floods near Sierra Leone’s capital,Freetown, Africa were hardly reported, even though the death toll was overthree hundred (BBC News, 2017). The ethics can undoubtedly be questioned here,the two events occurred at similar times so why was one reported more than theother? This relates to Spencer-Thomas’s (Owen Spencer-Thomas, 2017) idea of“news values” where the guidelines for what is considered ‘newsworthy’ comeinto play. The Freetown floods it could be debated were not as significant asHurricane Harvey, and consequently didn’t make the headlines.Alternatively, it could be argued that the media isnot biased but rather like every other cooperation in society, works within thehierarchal structure conforming to the requirements which bring reward (Curranand Seaton, 2010). Media outlets are businesses essentially thus need people toinvest to generate revenue. Therefore, rather than being biased and promotingfake news, it could be argued that media outlets actually focus and tailor thecontent based on their audiences. For example, Five News is characterized byshort, snappy bulletins aimed at a young audience. In contrast, The Guardianhas detailed articles which are aimed at more qualified professionals. Furthermore, to succeed, media outlets have now hadto intensify media strategies to compete with cybermedia organisations (Williamsand Tapscott, 2014). Considering this, it could be argued that media outlets choosethe most important stories as a way of fulfilling users’ needs and their ownprofit interests(Fuchs, 2014), online. This links with the conceptof ‘clickbaiting’ which is used by media outlets to attract audiences to ideaswhich appeal to them.  Postmodernists,would argue that media outlets are a channel to promote consumption rather thanpropaganda. They tailor and direct certain information towards certain peoplein the hopes of increasing revenue through advertisements. The increasingdiversity of choice, globalisation and social media has resulted in a varietyof influences shaping our identities. One could argue, that users are not exploited, asFuchs notes, users voluntarily choose to use platforms (Fuchs, 2014). Marx’stheory can be criticised for presenting users as passive rather than activeparticipants. The idea that there has been a “cultural shift away from the…self-conscious user towards the subject as docile” (Lovink, 2016) can bedebated. The revolution of the internet has meant that people can activelychallenge the media, social media has become a “weapon of mass collaboration” (Williamsand Tapscott, 2014). Therefore, it could be argued that fake news is a thing ofthe past, with social media flooding with different perspectives there hasbeen, as Mason notes, an increase in individual freedom and human consciousness.The evidence lies in the streams of social media comments which criticallychallenge a piece of ‘news’.  From oneperspective, it could be stated that social media has helped a digitalrevolution to occur where the masses have finally gained a voice and power. Moreover, it could be claimed that people choosewhich news stories to believe thus fake news can only exist if people allow itto be. Audiences receive and interpret the ‘news’ and as a result, not everyonewill be affected in the same way. Consequently, if media outlets are promotingpropaganda there is a very small chance that everyone will be misled. Peopletend to read and seek out information that interests them and confirms theirexisting views (Festinger, 1962). Taking this into account, one could arguethat the media is just a scapegoat for media bias and fake news. The realitycould be in fact that media bias and fake news is affected and createddepending on a range of psychological and social factors, it may not be biasbut rather unconscious nature.Without question, the media plays a major role insociety today, whether it be influential or informative. Media technologies maynot be the “contemporary opiates of the people” as Maxwell and Miller (Maxwelland Miller, 2012) suggest but the validity and objectivity of media outlets canundeniably be questioned. The ‘news’ is affected by a range of factors and itis impossible for it to be completely objective. This may not necessarily makeit propaganda but rather a certain opinion. Media outlets need to generaterevenue and therefore, media bias may be a method of tailoring articles towardsaudiences rather than intentionally ignoring incidents because of capitalistcontrol and deliberate misinformation. On the other hand, the ‘news’ is essentially a root ofinformation, consequently we should receive an equal coverage of incidents,like Hurricane Harvey and the Sierra Leone floods, so that one incident is notseen as more significant. It could also be argued that media outlets shouldstay neutral in political campaigns like the EU referendum, as it is very easyto misinform and mislead readers. However, the effect of misinformation can beoversimplified, as seen in the Marxist theory. People are not passive andcritically challenge the ‘news’ and even play an active role in providing the‘news’, as social media has given everyone the freedom to transmit information.The different perspectives, as a result, diminish the effect of fake news andallow us to assemble narratives and interpretations for ourselves.Consequently, there can only be an ‘illusion of truth’ if we allow there to be. ReferencesBBC News. (2017). Sierra Leone mudslides killhundreds. [online] Available at:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-40926187 [Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].Brennen, B. (2017). Making Sense of Lies, DeceptivePropaganda, and Fake News. Journal of Media Ethics, 32(3),pp.179-181.Curran, J. and Seaton, J. (2010). Power withoutresponsibility. London: Routledge.Festinger, L. (1962). A theory of cognitivedissonance. California: Stanford University Press.Fuchs, C. (2014). Digital labour and Karl Marx.1st ed. New York: Routledge, pp.254, 257, 280.Herman, E. and Chomsky, N. (1988). ManufacturingConsent. New York: Pantheon Books.Highfield, T. (2016). Social media and everydaypolitics. [S.l.]: Polity Press, p.3.Lovink, G. (2016). Social media abyss.Cambridge, UK: Polity, p.5. Maxwell, R. and Miller, T. (2012). Greening themedia. New York: Oxford University Press.McQuail, D.(1998). Mass communication theory. London: Sage.Miliband, R.(1976). The state in capitalist society. London: Quartet Books.Moravec, E. and Moravec, E. (2017). Texasofficials: Hurricane Harvey death toll at 82, ‘mass casualties haveabsolutely not happened’. [online] Washington Post. Available at:https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/texas-officials-hurricane-harvey-death-toll-at-82-mass-casualties-have-absolutely-not-happened/2017/09/14/bff3ffea-9975-11e7-87fc-c3f7ee4035c9_story.html?utm_term=.5439927dfcdc[Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].Owen Spencer-Thomas. (2017). News values – OwenSpencer-Thomas. [online] Available at: http://www.owenspencer-thomas.com/journalism/newsvalues/[Accessed 6 Nov. 2017].The Guardian. (2017). Brexit camp abandons£350m-a-week NHS funding pledge. [online] Available at:https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/10/brexit-camp-abandons-350-million-pound-nhs-pledge[Accessed 10 Sep. 2016].Williams, A. and Tapscott, D. (2014). Wikinomics.New York: Portfolio, p.3.Get Help With Your EssayIf you need assistance with writing your essay, our professional essay writing service is here to help!Find out more