Column: How fake news has affected how Generation Z views the media.

by Eostar Tarbox

With everything that has been happening in the news recently, many youth seem to have lost faith in their local and national news sources.

They’ve seen both parties bashing news articles that they don’t like, and calling them “fake news.” This generation is also seeing people writing bent truths or full out lies, and labeling them as “alternative facts.”  

Politicians and public figures who try to disparage all news or all media sources push teens away from reliable sources. Teens often tend to seek updates from social media, and often neglect to fact check. This also leads to a disinterest in politics or events all together, because we don’t know who to trust.

When watching the news as a generation Z’er, I am constantly thinking: What aren’t they telling me? What here isn’t completely true? Where can I find the whole truth? I think these questions show the lack of trust that has been taught to this generation in recent years.

Journalists and citizens on social media who either intentionally leave out the truth, or don’t care enough to look into things, are seriously jeopardizing the name of the media and press. This causes me distress because growing up, watching the news, local and national, was heavily a part of my family.

Finding sources that are trustworthy can be a difficult for the younger members  of Gen Z, and the older members of other generations who haven’t been taught how.

Mistrust in journalism is troubling, and I’m not sure what to do about it. Gen Z has had many expectations placed on them to “fix” everything wrong with the media. And many of us accept the responsibility. However, I don’t believe we can do this on our own. Previous generations tell us that we need to fix things now, but we need time to learn and work, and help from them in order for it to work.