Catherine Happer takes a look at the role of the media, particularly journalism, in the current climate of ‘fake news’. As a result of growing public distrust in ‘news’ in general, there is a struggle taking place between different ideologies and over what counts as credible journalism. Social media are being used by both the right (e.g. Donald Trump) and the left (e.g. Jeremy Corbyn) to put forward an alternative ideology to challenge the mainstream media. Happer argues that the outcome of this struggle between left and right, and between mainstream media and social media, will have a profound impact on the future of the media and on what counts as ‘truth’.
This article is of obvious relevance to those taking the ‘Mass media’ topic, but in addressing a range of contemporary issues in a period of rapid social and political change it is of benefit to all sociology students.
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