The+Death+of+Mainstream+Media

ENGL 1102 3 February 2017 The Death of Mainstream Media

 Towards the end of the 2016 Presidential election “fake news” is a term that started to be the topic of discussion among many media sources. Fake news is inaccurate or simply false information that appears on the Web under the guise of journalism (Shahani). These types of articles are usually posted and spread around on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter and is thought to have been a big influence on the general public’s opinions on candidates and the results of the election. While most people can agree that reporting misleading information in order to influence the viewpoints of others is a bad thing there seems to be a debate about what exactly qualifies as “fake news”, as shown in the political cartoon I chose. While mainstream media outlets like CNN and the Washington Post see fake news as misleading news pieces that ruin the integrity of journalists like themselves, independent news sources see it as popular media groups trying to discredit and censor the sort of topics people post and discuss.

 The main thing I noticed about this political cartoon is the hierarchy between the mainstream media people and the bloggers. The mainstream is seen on the top of a castle which places them on a higher level while the bloggers are standing at the bottom like commoners. The people on the top are also dressed in suits and ties which makes them look more professional whereas the people on the bottom are wearing casual clothing and resemble everyday people. I think that the artist was trying to convey the divide between the establishment media and bloggers or any news source that doesn’t fit the mold of the mainstream. The people on top are seen as elitist who have their own agenda when it comes to reporting the news, an issue that is often highlighted when critiquing media sources. Many feel like networks such as MSNBC, which is seen as too liberal, or Fox News, which is seen as too conservative care more about twisting stories in order to promote their own political views as opposed to being fair and factual. Popular news sources are also often funded by large corporations which provides another reason for them to be biased and mostly report things that fall in line with what their sponsors want them to say. The people on the bottom are challenging them to provide objectivity and truth when giving the news without any outside inferences. Another thing I noticed was the fact that the artist chose to leave the picture in black and white. The lack of color allows the audience to focus more on details, such as the signs the bloggers are holding up, and pay attention the overall message of the piece.

 The rhetorical device that is used the most in this cartoon is pathos. The clothing contrast between the establishment media and the bloggers is done purposely to get the audience to empathize more with the bloggers. They are seen as the average American who is fed up with the dishonesty of the mainstream media, which is a viewpoint that is becoming even more of a reality as the years go on. According to a yearly poll done by Gallup, American’s trust in mass media is at an all-time low (32%), and more citizens are turning to alternative news sources. This is a stark difference from 1976 when trust in the media was the highest (72%), and journalists were receiving praise for their coverage of important events such as the war in Vietnam and the Watergate scandal. There is also a divide a divide between younger Americans (ages 18 to 49) who have less confidence in the media compared to the older generation ( ages 50 and over). Many could say the reason for this is the fact that more outlets exist now to receive news and they are able to see multiple perspectives on a story.

 Although death is not depicted in this picture in a literal sense, I do feel like it is reflective of the change in the general public’s reception of mass media. More people, particularly millennials, are not only using social media as a source for news, but creating platforms where they can relay the news through blogs, podcast, and videos. This has created a situation for traditional media sources where people feel as if they are obsolete or “dead” because online sources are more convenient and tend to have less obligations to corporations and other conflicts of interest.

Works Cited

Gallup, Inc. "Americans' Trust in Mass Media Sinks to New Low." //Gallup.com//. N.p., 14 Sept. 2016. Web. 03 Feb. 2017.

Shahani, Aarti. "Facebook, Google Take Steps To Confront Fake News." //NPR//. NPR, 15 Nov. 2016. Web. 24 Jan. 2017.  Picture: @https://climateviewer.files.wordpress.com/2013/11/mainstream-media1.jpg