Corporate media journalists ADMIT their bad habits help create fake news

The issue of fake news continues to provoke significant discussion within the corporate media industry, stemming from a study presented by Jeong Jae-cheol, a reporter from South Korea’s Maeil Shinmun newspaper. His doctoral thesis, titled Journalists’ Perceptions and Responsibilities Towards Fake News, was shared at a recent gathering of the Department of Media at Kyung Hee University.

This research, which surveyed 351 journalists, reveals profound insights into the internal dynamics of media organisations and their relation to the proliferation of misinformation.

Fake news: corporate media is part of the problem

In his research, Jeong noted that key factors stemming from ideological bias and factional conflict within the media organisations themselves contribute to the rise of fake news.

According to insights gathered from multiple reporters participating in the survey, the political slant of news outlets is closely tied to the creation and dissemination of misleading information.

A veteran reporter from a comprehensive daily newspaper, whose views were recorded, expressed that “the attitude of approaching the issue of left-right perspectives as if the facts are wrong is based on factional logic,” which increases the likelihood of misleading reporting in politically charged media.

The analysis highlighted that ideology not only influences the external media landscape but also manifests internally within the organisations. For instance, a relatively inexperienced reporter pointed out that a shared desire to target specific segments due to partisan preferences allows for the prevalence of fake news, often at the expense of rigorous fact-checking.

Jeong’s study revealed that a significant majority of journalists—72.1%—believe that media organisations bear the primary responsibility for the production and spread of fake news.

Factors attributing responsibility to the practices surrounding news reporting, competition for exclusives, and external influences like political groups were noted, yet these did not reach a similar level of consensus. Among the respondents, 55.8% identified competitive reporting practices, alongside 48.1% attributing it to political groups, and 40.2% to audiences.

Editorial policies

Discussions surrounding the influence of editorial policies were also prominent.

An editor from a weekly magazine indicated that the structure of media ownership and editorial stances heavily shape journalistic output, with editorial pressures potentially distorting facts.

A reporter from an economic newspaper shared similar concerns, noting that alignment of editorial tone with management preferences can unintentionally lead to the production of misleading content.

The rush to break news quickly has further complicated the issue, according to a reporter with 14 years of experience at a broadcasting station. He stated that the competitive nature of breaking news often results in inadequate fact-checking, leading to a higher risk of false or manipulated narratives being circulated.

Overall, Jeong concluded that the creation and distribution of fake news are largely attributable to both internal organisational practices and external pressures. He pointed out that the interaction of these elements exacerbates the issue, highlighting the importance of robust fact-checking and the ethical training of journalists to combat political bias.

Fake news: the public needs to be educated

Suggestions for addressing these challenges include enhancing media literacy through public education and reinforcing self-regulatory mechanisms, although complexities surrounding legal penalties remain a topic of concern among journalists.

The findings presented in Jeong’s thesis contribute to a growing body of discourse on the urgent need for media organisations to address these challenges effectively while maintaining a commitment to journalistic integrity and political neutrality.

Featured image via the Canary