News is getting excessively expensive when it comes to sifting facts from fiction. Verifying information exacts extra time, cross-checking with channels of opposing persuasions and individual interests. A constant suspect, it is also making people doubt about content veracity.
The dragnet of doubts closes in as people talk of fighting disinformation. Flouting European Union laws, France banned TikTok in its territory of New Caledonia in May 2024, when riots broke out and at least seven were killed. Kanaks were against the new proposed law that allowed those who migrated after 1998 to vote in election.
French government explained: When things go out of hand, ban has to be applied. By the same yardstick, the riots in India’s Manipur state in 2023 would justify stringent curbs on the media. But the mainstream media in the West dwelt upon India’s north-eastern state’s turmoil in great deal criticising restrictions on the violence-ridden state.
That might explain why media literate Americans and Europeans increasingly distrust news outlets. Barely 45 per cent of their populations consider the mainstream media reliable. Independent media and professional media are not synonymous.
Independence does not necessarily denote professionally competent and non-partisan institution. An independent news outlet can choose to be professionally impartial in its approach to information gathering, investigation of significant clues and degree of presentation. On the other hand, it might wil.