On Monday, October 23, The New York Times published an article titled “Editor’s Note: Gaza Hospital Coverage,” in which their editorial board apologized for its poor journalism on the current Middle-Eastern conflict. The article expressed regret on behalf of The New York Times for verifying a false claim by Hamas government officials regarding a rocket explosion on a hospital within Gaza’s territory. Despite their apology, the damage was already done. If this headline fails to elicit fear, allow us to rephrase: The most renowned news source in our nation is spewing fake news. The impact? Catastrophic.
As our nation faces increasing global strife, news outlets confront amassing pressure to publish quickly and in large quantities. Headlines are essential. Stories must come plentiful. In light of such tumultuous current events, news ought to serve as an elixir by promising clarity to readers, a magnifying glass for issues that only journalists can precisely examine. The journalist is employed by the trust of its readers. More than ever, this trust is diminishing.
Supplement the failures of modern journalism with social media, conspiracy theories, and propaganda. With no current regulations on online platforms, unverified ideas spread like wildfire. In turn, our world continues to split into factions: citizens of the same country turn on one another, and hate continues to amass. Our generation is no exception, for we fall victim to decorated Instagram posts and bold Twitter threads. Unfortunately, TikTok comment sections tend to have more persuasion than NPR or CNN. The profound effect social media has on misinformed rhetorics is even more detrimental.
Is anything pure—untouched by the infected hands of bias and capitalistic agenda? The answer is unclear. Even primary sources are often born contaminated by government agenda. Still, we have the power as a generation to repurpose the democratic value that is the very foundation of news: the freedom of the press. As one, we are capable of installing a new definition of this protective right, one backed by accuracy and newfound trust.
The Southerner is not here to report the current issue surging across the globe. Still, we do have one thing in common with The Times—we exist to represent our readers with accurate news. Our mission is not to write clickbait or gain subscribers. We strive for the truth. The broken trust between society and its news outlets is disappointing to say the least, and it is out of our control. As your student newspaper, we vow to deliver quality articles of utmost importance and truth. In a world full of mistrust and misinformation, we promise that South High can turn to The Southerner for veracity. As journalists, many of our mentors have failed us. As the upcoming generation of writers, we will not let you down.
