By Damilola Adenekan
The world has entered an advanced technological era, where the blessings and curses of technology are evident in journalism. With the rise of non-professional individuals imitating the work of journalists through content creation, the concept of “produsage” has emerged as an area of focus for mass communication students, according to a journalist and multiple award winner, Adeola Yussuf.
According to a lecturer of Mass communication, Crescent University, Dr. Ayo Odetoyinbo, content creation has become a prominent trend in mass communication, and it is crucial for journalists and journalism students to play their part in utilizing it responsibly.
However, content creation is not exclusive to journalism alone, as technology has evolved from the traditional era. This evolution has given rise to the proliferation of fake news and hate speech.
Fake news has always been present throughout history, but its impact in the 21st century is unprecedented. In the past, gatekeepers played a vital role in ensuring the credibility of news. News would go through a series of checks, from reporters to sub-editors and finally to editors, who determined what would be published. Unfortunately, this process has been replaced by a phenomenon known as gate watching.
Moreover, individuals have taken it upon themselves to disseminate information on the internet without fact-checking to ensure its validity. As a result, misinformation has tarnished people’s images and reputations. This underscores the importance of professional journalists using content creation to combat the harm caused by unknowingly propagated fake news.
Fake news can take various forms, including pictures, audio, videos, text, and more. The root cause of this issue lies in the unrestricted nature of content creation, which now allows anyone to produce and distribute content without adhering to strict regulations.
However, governments can contribute to addressing this problem by not only enacting stringent social media regulations but also promote media and digital literacy. This will prompt individuals to think twice before posting anything that could harm others. Social media platforms have become powerful tools that require responsible usage.
It is the responsibility of journalists to reclaim their role by debunking false content and protecting the world from the hazards of fake news.
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