Media Law and Fake News

Media Law

       A new concept that interested me was the Shield Law, which protects a journalists right to maintain their source's amenity. If your source requests to remain anonymous in a piece you that you plan on  publishing, it is your ethical duty to respect their decision and protect them no matter what. Breaking this promise can not only result in the fall of your career as a journalist, but it could also completely destroy someone's life, whether it be the source itself, or people connected to their statement. ( e.g. Chelsea Manning )

       Although as a high school journalist, I do not believe I will come across many situations in which I will have to use anonymous sources or even need the use of the shield law, it doesn't hurt to be prepared and educated on my rights as a student journalist. I understand how important it is to do the  right thing in respecting your sources choice, but i should also keep in mind that the use of an anonymous source has the possibility to cause controversy and people may question if the source is reliable.

Fake News

      Although I was aware of Fake News, I didn't realize how common it is. Seen on almost every social media platform, Fake News is presented as real journalism that lacks the concept of truth and credibility. Unfortunately these false statements tend to spread faster than the real deal, and many people believe it because it's what they want to hear. Without checking sources or facts, people share their “findings” , which causes lots of misinformation. Also keep in mind that click bait or over sensationalized news isn't necessarily fake, just misleading.

       Thanks to my new knowledge on the subject, I can be more aware of what I read on the internet. I know the importance of double-checking information and if I come across news that is "too good to be true", it probably is.