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A WAVE OF sensationalism and fake news has descended upon us all, and ironically, it’s the most interesting “real” news story in years.
You’ve got Russian spies, secret dossiers, fascists, bots, pizzagate – even the Pope has weighed in, calling sensationalism in journalism a “very serious sin”.
The hubbub makes exaggeration and media bias feel like new inventions, but you don’t have to turn many pages in the history books before you get to the infamous It’s The Sun Wot Won It.
Yes, that’s a page one, banner headline boast about how The Sun helped sway the 1992 UK general election in favour of John Major’s Conservative party. Not exactly a picture of pre-Twitter innocence, especially when you consider that entities like The Sun really were (and are) political forces to be reckoned with.
So, what has changed?
If the world can tolerate exaggeration and fabrication when packaged as a tabloid, why do the same antics create pandemonium when packaged as tweets, blogs and biased news articles?
Despite the many social, political and economic forces in play (to say nothing of the technology), new media’s current malaise can mostly be boiled down to one problem: online, it’s hard to tell if you’re reading a tabloid or not.
It would be nice to just blame it all on Facebook and Twitter for creating platforms that favour clickbait, or to point out that Breitbart mostly creates political fan fiction. The disheartening reality is that even mainstream, reliable sources of news are beginning their own digital, tabloid-lite adventure.
Semi-mythical US institutions like The Washington Post – the people who broke Watergate – are posting articles that sometimes read like unfinished mixtures of news and clickbait, like the ever-so-slightly alarmist Russia is going to attack our next election. The Trump administration may not even try to stop it.
Oversimplifications and fear-mongering
Needless to say, Trump is awful and Putin is sneaky, but oversimplifications and fear-mongering language and like that surely belong back with The Sun in 1992, not under the umbrella of a news media heavyweight in 2018?
The Guardian probably deserves less criticism that anyone, but even they can get a little tricksy online. Take Russian nuclear facility denies it is source of high radioactivity levels.
The article begins by discussing the detection of radioactive isotope concentrations “several hundred times the norm” found in “several locations” in Russia. The apparently serious incident developed quickly enough to warrant its own “everything you need to know” factsheet.
Yet it still took four paragraphs of suspenseful, retweetable journalism for anyone to mention that the leak was “20,000 times less than the allowed annual dose and presents no threat at all to health”.
Why is it so easy to miss or ignore tabloid-like exaggeration online?
Mostly it’s just that we go easier on opinions we agree with overall. Then it’s little things. Professional-looking websites can make WordPress amateurs look like authorities. Sensationalised headlines work, especially as social media fodder.
The tiny on-screen gap between a “news” and “opinion” tab can make you forget that, on content-aggregating sites like Reddit, opinion pieces are often just provocative headlines over advertising-laden filler.
After accepting that these issues exist (and not just for Fox News junkies), you start seeing problems everywhere.
But that’s fine, because debunking dodgy writing is really a lot of fun. You feel like Sherlock Holmes, casting a critical eye over everything. And not a moment too soon.
If a website’s only trick is to turn the emotional volume up to 11, it probably never deserved your attention. If an article isn’t honest and fair, you’re paying full price for half a story.
Richard MacCarthy is a writer and academic tutor.
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it so hard being the wife of multi millionaire footballers these days..especially in the world of social media….thank heavens we still have quality journalism to keep us all informed of the dramatic distractions …i mean… events….of such national importance.
@Dave Hammond: Rebekah’s reply was: “I can’t believe this…I’m pregnant and on holiday”
@Dave Hammond: The best part is we exist in a post phone-hacking world and yet the first assumption, at least by Coleen and the vast majority, is still that this information was “legitimately” obtained by the Sun…
On a completely unrelated note, I have this inheritance money from my Botswanan Great-Aunt and I just need some help moving it into the country…
@John Considine: what you need is a shyster, plenty of them in Ireland.
@John Considine: No way John. We most be cousins as I too have the same aunt! If you, and any other long lost cousins out there want to send me €500 each, to cover admin expenses, I’ll organise a family reunion??
@Dave Hammond: the funny thing is that these stories always get waaaay more views than any others. We must be all wag fans….
@John Considine: Of all the African countries you could have chose you picked the least corrupt. Also your Aunt is Motswana.
@Stevie Doran: she shouldn’t be flying if shes that heavily pregnant
I had to ‘google’ who is Rebekah Vardy and despite that this is one of the best stories I’ve this year. People are calling Rooney WAGatha Christie on Twitter.
@Smidgen Dublin: she’s the partner of one of my key fantasy football strikers and good value goal goat Jamie Vardy. So when you read about a WAG it’s their partner who is famous. No need to google really.
@Chewey Bacca: I foudn that out through google. No need to reply and explain. Really.
@Smidgen Dublin: please remove yourself from google and the internet. People are commuting to pay their carbon tax reading your nonsense. Suggest you post something on the Turkey Kurds story.
@Chewey Bacca: please remove yourself from google and the internet. People are commuting to pay their carbon tax reading your nonsense. Suggest you post something on the Turkey Kurds story.
Sc#mBag Newspaper!!!!
I wasted 2 minutes of my life reading this story…
@Michael Geraghty Bodycoach:
Really??? Now you can understand Brexit….
Can’t believe the Rooney’s basement didn’t flood… I was so certain…
I feel betrayed now…
@Cowboy Paddy: hahaha same
My American cousin once asked politely… Why do all English footballers seem thick?
Hope he is not reading this!
Can I suggest bikini mud wrestling? No.
@Vin: solves everything!
This is not sports news, must be a slow day, this belongs in the gossip page
Chat s**t, get banged
Classy.
Oh I put stuff online and somehow other people saw it . I wonder how duh !!
Why is this thrash even news Jesus wept, keep this for glossy women’s mags, mainstream media outlets are becoming progressively worse all the time, there was a time when nonsense like this would have been frowned upon now the dumbed down generation lap it up.. Sad
@Jonny: or you could always just mind your own business.
@Jonny: Yet it’s at the top of the most popular stories clicked on.
@David: there’s always one.. Dear me
@Thunder Snowman: yeah women and millenials
Self proclaimed Liverpool fan selling stories to the S#n. Disgusting.
@Fergus O’Connor: You are assuming she did it, and that she wasn’t hacked. No true Liverpudlian would deal with the Sun, even if she detested Rooney, which it doesn’t seem like she does…
Who gives a s*it?!!
Mrs vardy has said that she did not need the money which sounds plausible enough but the sun may have had info on her. The sun and its readers are the bad guys here
@Noel O Sullivan: nail on the head. The sh*trag wouldn’t exist if the knuckledraggers didn’t buy it. That’s who I blame.
Rebekah if its any consolation you are my no strings.
#Dontbuythesun #totaleclipseofthesun
2 clowns
I think I’ll take Vardy out of my Fantasy football team now . And he great fixtures coming up…. flip
Cute move ,i like it….
Rebekah Vardy should ask for an extension on the friendship like Boris
How about learning some decorum and not sharing anything on any digital medium and keeping your cake hole shut about your short and pathetic life, love.
You have to be careful how you speak and treat your family and friends. I heard of relatives and friends that dont speak after years of friendship.
Wealthy women gasbagging. News.
When I seen John Duggan retweet it, I taught to myself. Is this where we’re at now!!
Conal thomas. Get a real job man. This has nothing to do with sport. You’re a very sad man
A battle of their fake t*ts will sort this out.rooney playing around again
It must be great to have the time
It’s funny if you go through the female sports articles on the 42 there’s zero comments in the comments section but two wags fighting and the comments section goes into melt down lol
@Jason Fogarty: and the funnier thing is, the majority of comments are from men
@Suzanne Bell: I know they should be ashamed for bringing themselves into disrepute lol
Who is Coleen Rooney??
#buythesun
This will send Wayne over the edge….any granny hookers in the vicinity are in the crosshairs.
Maybe Boris could mediate for them… he’s mighty at negotiating
Who is Colleen Rooney??
#buythesun
I don’t blame anyone only you Conal .. RUBBISH ..
She is no friend
To the 42 ::what the hell is this doing on the 42::you are about “”SPORT “” not this sh#t for GOD sack have some pride for your NAME
Coleen Rooney better have all her ducks in a row, otherwise she may will be on the receiving end of a Libel action me thinks.
I honestly couldn’t give a s##t,when your famous and have a social media account your private life is over,plus without having proper prove Coleen could be sued for slander etc!
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