The evolution of the News media is a fascinating story. Its transcendence from traditional form to the digital media we use today is a long journey spanning around hundreds of years, since human beings came to Earth.
Initially news was spread by word of mouth when there was no means of transcription. Communication was passed on by person to person in those times. People used to travel far away for many days, even months or years to give news. In the beginning it was very hard to get the News from one place to another.
Then pen and paper was invented. News was sent in traditional hand written form from one place to another during the Renaissance period. After some time the printing press was invented and the first form of printed news emerged in the 15th century. The first newspaper was published in London in the 17th century. Then in the late 19th century Radio was invented and it became the fastest way of getting news. Gradually television and then the computer was invented which allowed the immediate spread of News. Now we have the fastest way to get the news than it has ever been in history.
Now News is all around us we are being bombarded by all types of news from multiple media sources. It is hard to distinguish between fake and real News. The digital media has revolutionised and it is still growing as the speed of the internet is increasing everyday, making it faster than it ever was. It allows instant News access from multiple media platforms.
The Revolution of News media has given birth to new jobs. Wide range of platforms include online News websites, blogs, social media, electronic media, online journalism, live news streaming. With ever changing technologies, the way of communication also changed. It also changed the way how societies consume all this information. Media has become important in shaping society's discourse and opinions.
Digital media has also presented some challenges. Misinformation and lack of media literacy in public can be very damaging for societies.
Here are some of the ways to navigating yourself through fake News and misinformation:
Think critically before believing:
Confirm the source of the News is credible or not. Think logically and try to know the background of the News. There must be evidence supporting the News. Always question the information you get before believing it. It is hard to distinguish between fake and real News nowadays.
Fact checking is important:
Go to reputation websites to double check the facts before sharing and believing it's true. Get your News from diverse sources. From different countries' media so you can get well-rounded views of any event or issue. We should teach people in our surroundings how to react if they encounter fake News or misinformation on media platforms.
Be Media literate:
You need to be educated regarding the media and how it works. We can get all sorts of fake News through different platforms of digital media. If we accept it all blindly then it's not a good thing. We can be brainwashed easily and can be used negatively. We need a proactive approach to consume the News media around us.
Things to do if you encounter fake News:
We should report the media spreading fake News to keep it clean and help to prevent its spread. As social media can be hotbed for misinformation and its effect can be damaging for society. By following these steps you can protect yourself from being misguided.
Posted Using InLeo Alpha
