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| Image retrieved from ShellyPalmer.com |
Mainstream media is every news outlet that is a current trend. This type of media can include newspapers and broadcast. For example, some of the most popular types of mainstream media are CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News. The reason that these news outlets are mainstream is because people tend to rely on their information due to their popularity on TV, online, and through word of mouth.
A whistleblower is a federal employee who reports wrongdoings to better the system and has protections within the government, such as the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989. However, a "whistleblower" is a federal employee who reports mismanagement for a political agenda that has no protections. The reason that a "whistleblower" has no protections is because they try to expose secretive information that is deemed illegal within a public or private organization. They have negative intentions when doing this and may tend to report illegal action that isn't even true.
Alternative media is media that differs from the mainstream. For example, www.truthdig.com is viewed as an alternative media site because it is a source, but it is not well-known or widely used by the public. This type of media tends to be viewed as fake news because of its lack of popularity and large use of opinion writing.
Citizen journalism is journalism that does not come from professional journalists, but citizens that get information from websites, blogs, and social media. An example of this is how people use Twitter. If someone were to be at a Black Lives Matter protest and got a video of protestors marching and yelling down the street, this person can tweet the video and caption it with their own opinion on the issue. This is beneficial for professional journalists because they have an opportunity to get more information on the protest from ordinary citizens. However, since it was tweeted by a citizen, they don't have to "get in trouble" if the information they say about the event is false.
An echo chamber is an environment in which a person is only surrounded by beliefs that agree with their own. Someone that is an echo chamber avoids trying to find out all the facts because they just want to find people that agree with them.
Lastly, reliable sources are sources that are trustworthy because they know the truth and have no motivation to lie about the topic. Examples of reliable news sources are the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times.
For most of these terms, I had heard of them before and had a fair idea about what each term meant. However, I got to learn about the difference in a whistleblower versus a "whistleblower" and what an echo chamber is from this presentation. I think it is interesting to see how the public views the media and how the media corresponds with the public within these different media spheres.
