(19) Conspiracy Theory: The democratisation of social media which has given rise to the resurgence of conspiracy theories in the digital era has profoundly disrupted journalism, demanding its critical redefinition. Technological advancements, particularly algorithmic amplification on digital platforms, have magnified the spread of conspiracy theories, eroding public trust and creating epistemic confusion (Wardle & Derakhshan, 2017). Audiences often struggle to distinguish credible information from fabrications as misinformation’s speed and scale outpace cognitive tools like critical thinking and skepticism (Vosoughi, Roy, & Aral, 2018).
Conspiracy theory, once marginal phenomena, now has gained traction and widespread visibility through algorithmically driven content, complicating the mediasphere. It intensifies challenges for journalists who navigate between reporting truth and countering disinformation.
When content creators experience cognitive dissonance, they may seek simple explanations to resolve their discomfort. Conspiracy theories, which provide a coherent (though often false) narrative, can become attractive solutions, making individuals more vulnerable to manipulation. Effectively, the journalistic response to conspiracy theories must go beyond factual reporting to promote epistemic resilience and public enlightenment. Through rigorous philosophical training and media literacy initiatives, journalism can restore its role as a pillar of truth. By reinforcing the power of dialectic reasoning and philosophical inquiry, journalists can help individuals navigate the complexities of modern information landscapes, empowering them to lead examined lives grounded in reason, truth, and understanding.
(20). Alternative News Sources: The rise of alternative news sources, including online-only news outlets and social media, has also contributed to the decline of traditional news organisations. The Pew Research Center found that a significant percentage of U.S. adults now rely on alternative news sources, such as social media, as their primary news source (Perrin, A., 2019).
(21). Four Personality Traits That Make an Internet Troll: Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy, and Schadenfreude. A new study conducted by researchers from Brigham Young University has revealed the personality traits that motivate a person to become an online troll. It found that those who post inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive comments online possess the dark triad personality traits and gloat at other people’s misfortunes.
(22) Asymmetric Information: This occurs when one party in a transaction has more or superior information compared to the other. In the context of social media, it can happen when users share content that misrepresents their personal or professional experiences, expertise, or qualifications. Asymmetric information is pervasive across various fields and can undermine the critical autonomy of citizens. Deploying critical media literacy (CML) can help overcome information barriers (Jindrich Vanek and Josef Botlik, 2013).
These social, psychological, technological, political, and economic factors demonstrate their impact on media and journalism, challenging the aims, principles, standards, and particularly the press freedom underpinnings of journalism in the post-truth era of digital convergence.
(23). Impact of Social Media on Traditional News Organisations: The impact of the internet on traditional news organisations is often described in terms of the contrast between the open, free, inclusive, participatory, collaborative, deliberative, and pluralistic nature of the internet and the decline of traditional news media organisations due to mergers, acquisitions, and shutdowns. This decline is attributed to several factors, including the shift of audience attention from traditional to digital media, the rise of alternative news sources, and changes in the business models of traditional news organisations.
(24). Shift in Audience Behaviour: The decline of traditional news organisations is significantly impacted by the shift of audience attention from traditional media to digital media. The Reuters Institute reported a decline in the percentage of people who regularly use traditional news sources, like television and newspapers, and an increase in those who use digital news sources, such as online news websites and social media (Newman, N., et al., 2017).
(25). Attention Deficit: Content writers may note their traditional writing style the golden rule of grabbing attention – the first 10 seconds of reading are critical.’ This is likely to happen if your press releases, websites, blogs and social media messages are not ingeniously, inventively and creatively written to attract attention.
Users often leave Web pages in 10–20 seconds, but if pages are informatively, educationally and with a clear value proposition can hold people’s attention for much longer. To gain several minutes of user attention, you must clearly communicate your value proposition within 10 seconds. (Jakob Nielsen Sept 11, 2011) [NEXT – More Challenges]