Information and media

Définition

1/ A media outlet is primarily a physical medium that enables the mass dissemination of information, such as print media, radio, the internet, or television.

Multiplication and diversification of information offerings

After World War II, we witnessed an increase in the density of information and a proliferation of media outlets: households acquired televisions, radio stations multiplied, and numerous magazines were launched. This was referred to as “mass media.” From then on, the information available became more extensive and varied than it had been before, and this phenomenon has continued to grow to the present day with the digital age, which has fundamentally changed the way we obtain information.

Changing relationship with information

As the amount and diversity of information on offer has increased, our own relationship with information has changed, particularly since the advent of the internet in the early 1990s. As a true democratic counterweight, the media has become indispensable to the lives of citizens. During election periods, for example, but also throughout the year, the media are the main source of information about the proposals, debates, and political programs of representatives and political leaders.

In addition, this evolution of media offerings, and in particular the development of the internet, has allowed for the wider dissemination of ideas and opinions that were previously marginal—or less diluted in public opinion—such as conspiracy theories or extremist ideologies, facilitating their dissemination to the general public.

But the media also refer to a structural and professional dimension less visible, in that they represent a system that is organized economically (in terms of financing and remuneration for journalists) and socially (which implies understanding what the profession of journalism entails, its practices, its customs, and journalism education).

2/ In the context of critical media education, information is a reported fact that comes from identified, verified, and cross-checked sources. This may be supplemented by context explaining or interpreting the event in question in social, cultural, and political terms. In addition, news must meet three criteria :

1. Be of interest to the public : To be considered news, in the media and social sense of the term, a fact must be of public interest. For example, the presence of any citizen at a football match does not constitute news that is likely to be of interest to all other citizens.
2. Be factual : news must relate to a fact and be factual. In other words, to continue with our example, the score of the match or the injury of a player on the field constitute news in their own right because they are observable facts, actions, and results. On the contrary, rumors about a player’s transfer to another club, or potential tensions that may exist within a team, do not yet constitute news.
3. Be verified and verifiable : to confirm its status as information, a fact must be verified and verifiable. In other words, attention must be paid here to the notion of evidence that validates the fact.

HOW THE MEDIA COMMUNICATE INFORMATION

In the print media, information can be reported in three ways, which amounts to using different journalistic genres:

1. Explained information : The journalist analyzes the facts, deciphers the information, and gives the reader information on the “how” and “why.” This type of writing is used for analysis, investigation, feature articles, and journalistic interviews.
2. Commentary : This is a freer style of writing in which the journalist interprets and attempts to decipher the facts by using humor, giving their opinion, or making a judgment. This style of writing is used for opinion pieces, columns, editorials, cartoons, and reviews.
3. Reported news : This is a very narrative style of journalism in which the journalist presents and recounts the facts in detail. This style of writing is used for news briefs, dispatches, news items, reports, features, and stories.

The information circuit

The information circuit follows different stages:

1. The fact
2. The alert (a journalist is informed by his sources)
3. Verification (Several journalists are mobilized, interviewing the organizations, individuals, or institutions concerned by traveling to the site).
4. An editorial meeting may be organized by the media. The editor-in-chief gathers the department heads, and a decision is made to deploy journalists in the field and cover different angles: characteristics, hypotheses, precedents, reports, the story of the day, etc.
5. When writing, The journalist writes their article or commentary, then the editors proofread and correct it, caption the photos, etc.
6. When the information has been cross-checked, it is time for publication.. It is published in the form of a flash, alert, or dispatch, depending on the importance of the information.

Note: Having a scoop means publishing the information first. Other media outlets may reproduce it, but must specify where it came from.