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Argumentative Essay On Shooting The Messenger

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“Shooting the messenger” is an age-old metaphorical phrase for blaming the bearer of bad news. While the bearers of bad news today might not be guilty for committing the wrongdoing, they are guilty of manipulating the public with their presentation of the news. News agencies must be kept in check because their eagerness to match the speed and availability of social media can lead to misinterpreted information; their use of false or biased media can mislead the public, and their profit driven motive compels them to promote stories that are interesting rather than accurate. As technology has advanced and people have become more connected through social media, news has been able to spread further and faster than ever before, leading to a more informed society. However, while news is expected to be correct and accurate, when it is flawed, real world consequences occur. The first and most understandable reason that news is flawed is that it is rushed. Competition has been introduced to the mainstream media in the form of social media. However, as Molly Wood from cnet puts it, “It's fast, but it's bad.” Known as breaking news, these rushed stories are generally inaccurate as they are being reported before the events have fully unfolded. Information is gathered …show more content…

Regardless of the agency that is examined, a bias can be found in them all. Further proof of this exists as, “Scientists developed an algorithm that, after churning through more than 200,000 quotes from 275 news outlets, discovered bias in their quote choice” (Ehrenberg). An impartial machine determined that news agencies, including those claiming neutrality, show favoritism. Having an opinion or a bias is not necessarily wrong, However, misleading the public because of that opinion is

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