Exploring Current Trends in Journalism- Misinformation, Press Freedom, and Economic Challenges of US Newsrooms -2024
Abstract
In 2024, there have been several uproars regarding the veracity of news. With the rapid development and integration of AI, it is becoming increasingly difficult to trust news. This essay aims to consolidate insights from existing research to provide a comprehensive economic overview of the current news landscape and challenges in journalism, particularly focusing on the transformative impact of AI and social media in 2024. The paper examines how financial sustainability impacts press freedom, how market incentives contribute to misinformation and how economic shifts in news demand threatens traditional journalism. The paper also provides a brief analysis of policy recommendations to suggest a direction for the resolution of these issues. The paper highlights examples with regards to the US Presidential elections in 2024 and discusses the scale and impacts of mis and disinformation propagated by AI, social media platforms and bots. The paper aims to shed light on the increasing importance of press freedom and accurate journalism in today’s world. This paper applies Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations Theory to explain how AI-driven misinformation spreads and McCombs’ and Shaw’s Agenda-Setting Theory to evaluate the role of newsrooms in shaping public discourse amidst declining press freedom.
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