I think we need to reinstate the new media only able to tell facts and only report on the news without their political beliefs only the facts
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Freedom of press and freedom of speech applies to everyone.
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No, that’s not true. That’s the issue with this country right now. Look up the word allegedly.
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This is in the Collections category, which is meant for posts that compile a list of similar policies. Please move this to the appropriate category. (Note: Just a member of the community. Not a mod)
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Using the term “News” should come with a requirement to back up what you say with facts. Otherwise they are “Opinion” programs/outlets. They should be required to make the distinction. Same with politicians.
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Absolutely terrible policy. Freedom of speech applies to everyone. The only true limits to freedom of speech are the certain issues that Supreme Court have already litigated, like yelling fire in crowded room, etc
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I agree! The media has been highly responsible for propaganda and spreading false news. We the people should be able to turn to the mainstream media for FACTS. Journalism has lost its integrity. Keep freedom of speech on social media.
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Preventing media, social media platforms, and talk shows from distorting facts or spreading lies requires a multi-layered approach that includes stronger regulations, improved media literacy, accountability mechanisms, and an emphasis on ethical journalism. While freedom of speech and press is a cornerstone of democratic societies, it is equally important to ensure that misinformation and disinformation are not given free rein. Below is a detailed plan to address this issue:
1. Strengthening Media Regulations
- Regulation of News Content for Accuracy: Implement and enforce regulations that require media outlets to adhere to standards of truthfulness, accuracy, and fairness in their reporting. This could involve establishing more stringent regulations on false or misleading claims, particularly on television talk shows, news channels, and social media.
- Fact-Checking Mandates: Require media outlets to publish corrections within a specific time frame when incorrect information is presented. Fact-checking organizations should be embedded in mainstream news platforms, and their findings should be prominently displayed when errors occur.
- Accountability for False Reporting: Create penalties for media companies or personalities who repeatedly distort facts, spread misinformation, or make false statements. These penalties could include fines or even temporary bans on certain individuals or outlets.
- Public Disclosure of Sources: Require media outlets to disclose their sources, especially when presenting controversial or potentially misleading information. This would allow audiences to assess the reliability of the source and the accuracy of the information.
2. Promote Ethical Journalism
- Journalistic Codes of Ethics: Reinforce and support the enforcement of ethical codes for journalists, such as the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics or similar standards. Journalists should be educated on the importance of accuracy, fairness, and impartiality in their reporting.
- Certification and Accreditation: Offer certifications and professional accreditations for media outlets and journalists that comply with ethical standards. This would create an incentive for media companies to adopt higher standards of reporting.
- Independent Oversight Bodies: Create or strengthen independent bodies that can monitor media for accuracy and integrity. These bodies could be empowered to investigate complaints from the public or other stakeholders and impose penalties when media outlets or talk shows misrepresent facts.
3. Fact-Checking Initiatives
- Mandatory Fact-Checking: Incorporate fact-checking into all major news outlets and social media platforms. For example, news broadcasts could feature a “fact-checking segment” or rely on trusted third-party fact-checking organizations that provide real-time verification of statements made in stories or interviews.
- Collaboration with Independent Fact-Checkers: Media outlets should partner with independent fact-checking organizations like PolitiFact, Snopes, or FactCheck.org to verify the accuracy of the information they report. These independent bodies should have access to the same visibility as the media outlets they are fact-checking.
- Automated Fact-Checking Tools: Encourage the use of AI-based tools and algorithms on social media platforms and news sites that automatically flag and correct false or misleading information. Such tools could be used to fact-check statements in real-time and issue corrections before false information spreads.
4. Social Media Accountability
- Platform Responsibility: Enforce accountability measures for social media companies to prevent the spread of false information. Companies should be required to take down content that violates accuracy guidelines and impose consequences on users or influencers who spread misleading or harmful content.
- Transparency in Algorithms: Mandate that social media platforms disclose how their algorithms prioritize or suppress content. By understanding how algorithms promote certain kinds of content, regulations can ensure that sensationalism or misinformation is not rewarded with widespread distribution.
- Disclosure of Paid Content: Require platforms to clearly label any paid advertisements, sponsored content, or political messaging. This ensures that users can differentiate between news and marketing, reducing the risk of deceptive content going unchallenged.
- Verified Accounts and Accountability: Introduce a verification system that ensures high-profile accounts—such as politicians, celebrities, and media personalities—are subject to greater scrutiny and fact-checking. Verified accounts would be held to a higher standard of accountability.
5. Legal and Policy Measures
- False Advertising and Defamation Laws: Strengthen laws related to defamation and false advertising, particularly when it comes to media outlets and social media platforms spreading misinformation that damages individuals or public trust. Make it easier for individuals and organizations to sue for defamation when false or misleading information is published.
- Fines and Penalties: Establish significant fines or penalties for media outlets, talk shows, and social media platforms that are found guilty of spreading intentional misinformation or distortions of facts. These penalties could be tiered based on the severity of the falsehood and its potential consequences.
- Legal Repercussions for Harmful Disinformation: Enforce stricter laws on disinformation campaigns that actively seek to deceive or mislead the public, especially in the context of elections or public health. This includes intentional acts of spreading false information about political candidates, voting, vaccines, and health advice.
6. Public Education and Media Literacy
- School-Based Media Literacy Programs: Integrate media literacy education into K-12 curricula to equip students with the critical thinking skills needed to identify misinformation and disinformation. These programs should focus on how to evaluate the credibility of sources, identify bias, and distinguish between fact and opinion.
- Public Awareness Campaigns: Launch national and local campaigns to inform the public about the risks of misinformation and provide practical tools to discern fact from fiction. These could be run through public service announcements, educational ads, and workshops.
- Promote Critical Thinking: Encourage schools, universities, and community organizations to foster critical thinking and analytical skills in the public. Programs could focus on the importance of questioning information, verifying sources, and recognizing the tactics used to spread misinformation (such as emotional manipulation or sensationalism).
7. Media Watchdogs and Audits
- Independent Media Watchdog Groups: Support the creation or strengthening of independent watchdog organizations that monitor media content for accuracy and transparency. These watchdogs would not only monitor traditional media outlets but also investigate online platforms, TV shows, and social media for misinformation and biased reporting.
- Auditing Media Content: Media auditing organizations could conduct regular reviews of news content and social media channels to identify patterns of misinformation or disinformation. These audits would then be publicly accessible to allow consumers to see how frequently misleading content is being disseminated.
8. Promote Positive Social Media Behavior
- Promote Digital Ethics: Encourage responsible online behavior through campaigns that promote ethical standards for content creators, influencers, and social media users. This could include a pledge or certification for digital content creators to commit to spreading only verified and truthful information.
- Crowdsourced Fact-Checking: Empower ordinary social media users to flag and challenge misleading content through fact-checking tools and reports. Platforms could integrate a “community-powered” fact-checking feature that allows users to dispute false claims directly on the platform.
9. Support and Protect Whistleblowers
- Whistleblower Protections for Journalists: Enforce stronger protections for journalists and employees in media organizations who expose misinformation or unethical practices. Whistleblowers should be legally protected from retaliation, and there should be transparent channels for reporting falsified or misleading information.
- Support for Internal Audits: Encourage media organizations to conduct internal audits of their content to identify misinformation and hold employees accountable for violations of ethical standards. Encouraging companies to invest in internal integrity checks will ensure that external regulators are not the only line of defense.
10. Global Coordination
- International Standards for Media Integrity: Work toward international cooperation to set universal standards for media accuracy, transparency, and accountability. This could involve organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, or other international bodies to create a global framework for media integrity.
- Cross-Border Media Monitoring: Collaborate internationally to monitor misinformation that crosses borders, especially in contexts like global health or international politics. Having international monitoring systems in place can help ensure that media outlets in one country are held accountable for the content they distribute globally.
Conclusion
Preventing media, social media, and talk shows from distorting facts or spreading lies requires a combination of strong regulations, ethical journalism practices, social media accountability, public education, and legal actions. The goal is not to suppress free speech but to ensure that the public has access to accurate, reliable information and that those who deliberately spread misinformation are held accountable. By focusing on transparency, education, and accountability, we can reduce the impact of disinformation and restore trust in media.
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I agree with this. People are so confused by the lying mainstream media that they don’t know what’s up and what’s down. News media needs to get out of the propaganda businessl.
I made a policy about this. It’s called the “Follow the money transparency act”
They of course have free speech like the rest of us, but their speech is overwhelmingly influenced by their financial backers. They should be required to disclose their affiliations so those who listen can make an informed decision about the bias of what’s being said.
If they, or the network, or their bosses are sponsored by big pharma, the MIC, planned parenthood, or a child transitioning lobby, the public should know.
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MAYBE There needs to be way after each broadcast to view the facts and what was there opinion. Easy access by the viewer.
Facts have to be clear, easy to understand, not mis-represted an any way, and back by REAL findings. With clear detail timeline of what the news story is covering.
That way the viewer can verify everything and come to there own conclusion of the facts vs the news opinion.
I think we should be looking into where networks get their money. are dems paying them
as Kamala paid Opra?
Yes! The news on tv is such trash and you can’t trust anything and the majority of the US is totally brainwashed. So biased!
Definitely make it criminal for 3-letter agencies like the CIA to pay journalists or have their own agents “working” as reporters.
Role of fact-checking in journalism and public discourse. Here’s a breakdown of the key issues:
Unbiased Organization
- Importance of Objectivity: For fact-checkers to be effective, they must be perceived as unbiased. Any hint of partiality can undermine their credibility and the trust the public places in them.
Criticism of Current Fact-Checkers
- Allegations of Bias: Many claim organizations like Snopes and others regularly exhibit a left-wing bias. This perception can affect how different audiences receive their findings.
Context in Fact-Checking
- Nuance and Context: Fact-checking can sometimes oversimplify complex statements. Taking a statement out of context may lead to misinterpretations, where the essence of the claim is lost.
Role in Combating Fake News
- Tools for Journalists: Fact-checking is one of several tools journalists use. It helps clarify misinformation but is most effective when combined with other journalistic practices, such as thorough reporting and contextual analysis.
Public Trust
- Belief in Objectivity: The effectiveness of fact-checkers hinges on public perception. If the audience believes that fact-checkers are objective, they are more likely to trust their assessments.
Conclusion
In summary, while fact-checking is a vital aspect of modern journalism, its impact depends heavily on the perceived objectivity of the organizations involved. Addressing concerns about bias and ensuring nuanced evaluations are crucial for maintaining integrity and trust in public discourse.
I agree in theory with all of this but we already have a problem with “fact checkers.” The ones listed at the beginning are all compromised and only state the “facts” they’re paid for. The fact checking during covid was a joke. We need to go back to equal time for all sides of the conversation. That got lost as we got more channels. The thinking was with more channels we’d get all sides. Unfortunately, our media leans hard left so even the right channels can’t get the time. All news outlets must give time to both sides and they must offer the truth and details to the public so that we can make informed decisions. Also, it’s ok to be wrong and go back and correct. Mistakes shouldn’t be vilified but they should be publicly corrected. As stories unfold sometimes facts come to light later. This constant cancelling and vilification has to stop. The sound byte can’t be the full story. Headlines shouldn’t be opposite what’s in the article, etc., etc.
Social media companies do not legally produce content at best they allow other people to make uncensored posts and are not legally the same as main stream media that commercially creates content. If you look at FB who mediated the content to mute conservatives while fact checking leftist and government propaganda as true you should see why there should be no filters, or fact checking on social media.