The Atlantic
Megan Garber
April 13, 2015
Published in The Atlantic, “The Argument Economy” is culture writer, Megan
Garber’s “take” on the state of journalism.
Garber reported that journalism had been under the usual pressures to
provide informational reports and opinion, and good quality quickly, but was
also under a new pressure to publish an attention-grabbing “piping hot take” for
commercial gain. While some “takes” stimulate
conversation and change, Garber warned readers that journalism with fully
formed arguments without all the facts is just well-developed propaganda, and
that such journalistic propaganda is rampant in our news organizations.
Less than a year has passed and Garber’s observations still hold true today. The field of journalism has only gotten more competitive, and the pressures are still just as prevalent as they had been a year ago. On the surface, news articles report trending information, but they often implant ideas beneath the surface to change readers’ perceptions. Events become dramatized by news organizations, all for the purpose of attracting more attention, for more viewers, and greater commercial gain, but the facts are not always there. As Garber puts it, “The argument is fully formed; it’s the facts that have some catching up to do” (11).
However, to some extent, the need to worry about propaganda taking over the press has lessened. Garber is not the only author to warn us of journalism becoming propaganda. People are becoming more aware of how dangerous the effects of media can have on our lives. As a society, we have taken steps to focus on the articles that are factually-supported, and to doubt those that are only argued with passion and faulty logic. Online forums and public commentary boxes give people the chance to critique an article’s composition if it is unreliable. On the other hand, if an article offers an interesting idea supported with sufficient, reliable evidence, then there are buttons to share it with the world to stimulate further conversation and change. Schools also consistently teach children how to read critically and requirements for thought-provoking, objective pieces of writing, so that we are fostering an instinctive sense of doubt and critical reading skills that protect against the misleading perceptions of propaganda.
Less than a year has passed and Garber’s observations still hold true today. The field of journalism has only gotten more competitive, and the pressures are still just as prevalent as they had been a year ago. On the surface, news articles report trending information, but they often implant ideas beneath the surface to change readers’ perceptions. Events become dramatized by news organizations, all for the purpose of attracting more attention, for more viewers, and greater commercial gain, but the facts are not always there. As Garber puts it, “The argument is fully formed; it’s the facts that have some catching up to do” (11).
However, to some extent, the need to worry about propaganda taking over the press has lessened. Garber is not the only author to warn us of journalism becoming propaganda. People are becoming more aware of how dangerous the effects of media can have on our lives. As a society, we have taken steps to focus on the articles that are factually-supported, and to doubt those that are only argued with passion and faulty logic. Online forums and public commentary boxes give people the chance to critique an article’s composition if it is unreliable. On the other hand, if an article offers an interesting idea supported with sufficient, reliable evidence, then there are buttons to share it with the world to stimulate further conversation and change. Schools also consistently teach children how to read critically and requirements for thought-provoking, objective pieces of writing, so that we are fostering an instinctive sense of doubt and critical reading skills that protect against the misleading perceptions of propaganda.
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