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Alan Diaz
A.P. English 1B
Argumentative Essay
1/8/13
Is the Internet a positive development for news reporting? Does it represent a
more democratic medium of information?
Many say the internet is another way to receive our news reports. Others even
say it is better. They argue whether it is a democratic medium of information and if it’s too
liberal. If people look around; newspaper companies or news report channels have their own
web page now. This is how the internet is a positive form of receiving news today.
Social network sites are an example of positive news reporting. At the moment,
Facebook and, to a lesser extent, Twitter, dominate this intersection of social media and news
(Mitchell, Rosentiel, and Christian). Social networking sites are being used more than they were
before. Out of 3,016 only nine percent get their news from social media. Although, this might
seem like a small number it has been increasing over the years. More people are starting to join
social network sites. With more people joining, the form in which they receive will start to get
even more dependent on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. Through the advent of
the Internet, regional news media are experiencing a revolution in their production and
administrative processes, such that their survival depends on their ability to find a workable
online business model (Kerrigan and Graham). Also, if a person goes to a news reporting
organization there will be a link so they can share the story on popular social networks. Getting
information from social networks is also more accessible than most other internet sites. They
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can be accessed from smart phones, desktop computers, tablets, etc. It is just easier and more
convenient for people to access news this way. Still, the reason social networks haven’t taken
over is because not all sources are dependable. There have been many times when false
information has been given this way. They just cause problems and mass confusion. Although
social networks are great, it is still better to go to news websites.
News websites are also a positive development for news reporting. Journalists
deliver news on TV and radio, in newspapers and magazines, and on the Internet (Vilbig). One
reason is they receive and put out the news faster on the internet than on anything else. News
sites are also more dependable than other forms of news reporting. Thirty-six percent of users
visiting news organization sites arrive there by going directly to the site or through the
organization’s app. Another twenty-nine percent travel through websites which organize recent
stories and link to source articles. At the end of the day, only a lonely nine percent of users
arrive at news sites via social media outlets like Facebook or Twitter (Lanier). This shows that
news sites are and will still be used more. This is great since news corporations get their stories
from different places around the world, cover different types of topics, and has improved in
many ways than before.
News reporting has had a vast change from how it was done before. News can
now spread much easily than how it did. For example, in medieval times, news used to spread
from a messenger that had to travel from place to place. This could’ve taken months or even
years depending on their destination. Today, people can just type up a story and with just on
click of the mouse people can send messages, letters, and much more in just a few seconds.
Also, compared to today only a small amount of people could see the news that would spread.
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Today, millions of people can see different types of news throughout the internet. This is how
the internet has changed news reporting in a positive manner.
Although there are many positive ways the internet has affected news reporting there
are also cons. For example, a major problem the internet has on news reporting is the lack of
restraint among online writers (Salcito). Rumors can easily start on the internet from false news
reports. People think nothing can happen to them because they are just behind a computer
screen all day long. So they start writing false information and expect others to believe it’s real
news. These type of people have lower ethical standards and think they can publish anything at
any time. This is how some people view the internet and news reporting.
People argue whether the internet is a liberal way of news reporting. Some
might say it isn’t while others disagree. This argument has been around since the internet
started. This is how the internet is a democratic form of information.
Democracy is another way of saying self-government. It was built in which the
power was vested upon the people. This means the internet is a democratic way of gathering
information. People should be able to see the information that matters. Governments around
the world censor the internet because they feel their people will rebel. Some internet sites
were created for this reason. In 2006 WikiLeaks was created and leaked out secret information,
news leaks, and classified media. This instantly turned into a problem for different governments
and the founder of the site was prosecuted (Savage). Creating the sited was viewed as an act of
espionage. Many countries decided to block off the site entirely. WikiLeaks worked a lot like
Wikipedia. People could edit, discuss, analyze documents, and much more. This was a very
democratic web site in which people from all over the world could work together. Aside from
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WikiLeaks, a hacktavist group called Anonymous hacked the Israeli government ("Anonymous
leaks personal information of 5,000 Israeli officials"). The reasons for which they did were
because the Israeli government was going to shut down the internet in Israel. The group
thought the rights of the people were being violated and so they hacked the government. With
this, it shows that the internet is a very democratic medium of information. People should have
the right to know. Although, some people think this, others don’t agree.
These people think that if too much information is leaked out their country could
be in danger. During the “Anonymous” event, the group leaked out information on government
officials names, ID numbers, and personal emails. This can put the officials’ lives at risk. The
same could happen if the United States government was hacked. Terrorist could get their hands
on classified information and use it against the country. The government has been strict on
these types of things. For example, a CIA agent was accused of terror leaks for just mentioning
a few names (Barakat). These are the sort of problems that people fear from the internet.
In the end, the internet has affected the way news is reported in many positive
and few negative ways. Also, the internet has turned into the most democratic form of
spreading and receiving information in today’s world.
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Works Cited
"Anonymous leaks personal information of 5,000 Israeli officials." RT. N.p., 18 Nov 2012. Web.
13 Mar 2013. <http://rt.com/news/anonymous-israel-officials-leaked-002/>.
Barakat, Mathew. "Former CIA officer accused of terror leaks." cnsnews.com. Associated Press,
23 Jan 2012. Web. 08 Jan 2013.
<http://cnsnews.com/news/article/former-cia-officer-accused-terror-leaks-1>.
Kerrigan, Finola, and Gary Graham. "Interaction Of Regional News-Media Production And
Consumption Through The Social Space." Journal Of Marketing Management 26.3/4
(2010): 302-320. Business Source Premier. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.
Lanier, Alison. "Where Do You Get Your News? How News Sites Interact with Social Media."
Nvate. N.p., 05 Dec 2012. Web. 13 Mar 2013.
<http://nvate.com/9116/news-social-media/>.
Mitchell, Amy, Tom Rosentiel, and Leah Christian. "What Facebook and Twitter Mean for
News." View Previous Reports Pew Project for Excellence in Journalism The State of the
News Media 2012 - An Annual Report on American Journalism. Pew Research Center,
n.d. Web. 13 Mar 2013.
<http://stateofthemedia.org/2012/mobile-devices-and-news-consumption-some-goodsigns-for-journalism/what-facebook-and-twitter-mean-for-news/#about-the-survey>
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Salcito, Kendyl. "Online Journalism Ethics." Center For Journalism Ethics. School of Journalism &
Mass Communication, University of Wisconsin-Madison, n.d. Web. 08 Jan 2013.
<http://www.journalismethics.info/online_journalism_ethics/new_media_trends.htm>.
Savage, Charlie. "U.S. Prosecutors Study WikiLeaks Prosecution." The New York Times. The New
York Times Company, 07 Dec 2010. Web. 13 Mar 2013.
<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/world/08leak.html?_r=1&>.
Vilbirg, Peter. "Breaking News." Career World. 33.2 (2004): n. page. Web. 14 Mar. 2013.