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Often times we see a news item about a conspiracy theory or about an ICO regarding a coin that will accomplish what no other coin has even dreamed about. Some responsible news outlets show a disclaimer that the "Following news item is paid, and that we do not have anything to do with the claims made below". Such claims by news website are very essential to establish credibility of the news entity, so that people are not fooled or scammed or angered.
Imagine if every news item that we consume was followed by full disclosure, regarding its
- political connection or bias.
- Its parent Company
- Its major funds come from which entity
- declaring the Nature of a news item, whether it is Paid promotion or a genuine investigation.
While Media Bias helps not only to uplift the image of certain individuals / parties / products / services but also play a vital role in degrading the competitor's products.
Take for example India's Gadget literacy TV show - NDTV Gadgets. This show explains the new gadgets that are available in the market and compares them with the current market competition.
Being one of the few such shows on TV this show enjoys a good share of viewership .
Last month the show was full of praises for Huawie HONOR 7 series of phone. Looking at the specs, battery and Price.
Redmi Note 4 is the clear winner in Indian markets as it has a bigger battery as well as much lower price along with having retail presence in major cities.
But yet comparing all the phones in mid ranges, NDTV Gadget Team didn't even list this phone, as it is a serious competitor of the product they waned to endorse.
Many people in my country are aware of NDTV and its credibility so i hope very few will be fooled by the phone.
What if the shows declare that we as a news team have received donations for the company that we are endorsing" that way it becomes very clear to the audience.
One example of such declration can be seen with Engadget which is owned ultimately by Verizon. So there is very less chance of transparency related to news items about YAhoo, AOL or Oath or Verizon. Or its competition.
News Perception at times of elections are very crucial. Essentially, the media can (and does) highlight or mask isssues in a way that will make or break a political party's image to the public.
The Times Group has been a proponent of paid news from a very long time. They purchase shares of a company, then do a solid marketing for an entire year by means of all its outlets and then enjoy the benefits of its "network products'" success.
Meanwhile if your products are cheaper and better, you wouldnt stand a chance in front of the media marketing teams.
Knowledge of such bias, when made public, can hamper the income of news media, but will on the other hand encourage honest journalism and will help the public be aware of what is actually good and why based on the merits of a product or a party.
News media disclosure and Audience literacy are the need of the hour if we want to avoid polarization and scams.
I hope that my thoughts have provoked more thoughts that you guys can share...
Please do share your views.