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Are the Increasing Costs of Real Online Journalism Helping the Rise of Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation?
Ensuring access to quality and accurate information on the internet is increasingly becoming an issue of money
Fake news is a saying that has established a foothold in the American lexicon since the early days of the Donald Trump presidency. While what he calls fake news is rarely the case, the country has actually seen a significant rise in fiction presented as fact. Sadly, misinformation and conspiracy theories have been accepted as gospel by an increasing swath of people, which may be a partial result of the rising costs of real online journalism.
One of the greatest attributes that conspiracy theories and misinformation have is that they are generally free. Presented in memes, YouTube videos and other online mediums not requiring subscriptions, they are accessible and also resonate with people who often are looking for a narrative to fit preconceived notions. The more that these are shared and spread as fact, the more it helps blur the lines of reality and create divisions.
Real journalism (yes, it’s real even if you may not agree with what the facts show) has taken many hits in recent years, especially in the realm of online…
