The Time Gap Between Print vs Screen
Despite the time gap between Yellow Journalism (19th century) and social media (present) are more similar than most are aware of. Yellow Journalism has been shown to prioritize exhilarating stories over factual information. Centuries later, social media has shown that creators strive for clicks and audience retention through any means necessary. Many would wonder why people would do this, but the answer is quite similar.
To begin with, social media is a way for companies, governments, and individuals to post just about anything for the world to see. With enough of a following, users can be monetized and gain compensation for bringing publicity to their apps such as YouTube, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. Social media allows for real-time updates and the consumers to be informed about closer events. Additionally, events located geographically a long distance away can be transmitted anywhere so everyone is on the same page. Social media is being used every day, getting more developed, and has many current events associated with it.
In addition to, the speed at which information is shared on social media gives rise to misinformation, and misleading content, such as clickbait, which is used to attract views. For spreading information, there is an algorithm that sorts social media posts based on user interaction, such as views, likes, and shares. This incentivizes controversial content because it tends to generate high amounts of engagement within the platform. There have been multiple cases in which individuals have used the algorithm to their advantage to amass a higher number of views. With the increasing popularity of social media today, more and more people are susceptible to these marketing schemes.
Furthermore, this type of exaggeration over facts is also seen in a similar situation through Yellow Journalism in the 19th century. It first started being used in the New York World and the New York Journal. Due to the fierce competition between these two soon started using sensationalized reporting. This included dramatic headlines, and emotional and vivid language to keep readers hooked and boost their sales. William Randolph Hearst (New York Journal) and Joseph Pulitzer (New York World), the editors, were responsible for the implementation of this style of reporting.
Yellow Journalism played a big part in influencing public opinion. The example of the U.S.S. Maine was over-exaggerated to convince the populace to join the Spanish-American War. Propaganda techniques that were used include, selective reporting, graphic imagery, and appeal to nationalism. The selective reporting aspect involved bias and only the use of information that supported what the program wanted you to believe. The explosion of the U.S.S. Maine was graphically depicted to make people sympathetic or angered. Appeal to nationalism was used to connect the readers to their needs and would more than likely support whatever else is stated along with it.
Altogether, the strive to shape the public's view is shown through yellow journalism and social media. The individual gain from both was no secret and played a major role in the making of exaggerated stories with little to no facts. Adding onto that, even when drastic reports mustn't be biased, they are. Whether people are aware of it or not, these forms of informing the world change the way people think and influence decisions to their benefit. The massive number of people makes it vital that information is transferred quickly, so the use of mass-printed newspapers and instant transmission through the internet were used to spread the news. The common phrase “A picture is worth a thousand words” backs up that the use of images can invoke many emotions and feelings, which explains why they are still used today from yellow journalism to social media. Both in the past and present, the goal is not to inform, but rather to appeal to gain publicity and support.
Overall, the time difference between Yellow Journalism and social media is almost not visible due to the drastic comparisons the two share.
#Bias
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