SofiaUnplugged

News in the media plays an extremely significant role in society, giving people their daily news which people rely on to be true. Big Australian news companies such as channel 7 have multiple outlets in which they provide news for the population which consist of free to air tv, their website, and social media accounts such as on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and X. This makes it easily accessible for everyone to access reliable news firsthand. Different news channels sometimes can have varying news stories depending on the area they are based in or even by who they are run by. The Australian Broadcasting Network or ABC is funded by the commonwealth government leading some people to believe this news channel is less biased and more truthful towards certain topics than other news networks. The 7news channel is owned by Seven West Media, a locally owned public media company.  

“Falsehoods circulating in public spheres are presently of considerable concern in democracies around the world.” (Koc-Michalska et al. 2020, p. 448) A recent survey found that 7news is first in the demographic age range of 16-39 and 25-54, giving a huge scope of audiences which view their news channel nationally. Younger audiences are turning away from free to air tv usage and turning to social media for their news feed. 7’s social media accounts have hundreds of thousands of followers who see the news through their social media feeds. As a more convenient way of accessing news for people with busy lives who still want to know what the news is about. Social media headlines may also catch one’s attention easier than if they were to sit and watch free to air television.  

I believe Instagram is a great and efficient way of spreading news to all audiences by making the posts quick and easy to read and understand the news story. Links to the 7news website can also be found attached to posts if audiences wish to read more about the news headline therefore adding diversity to the informative nature of the posts. The share feature on Instagram additionally allows people to share posts to their friends and family to ensure they are aware of the news if they don’t follow the account. Although, through social media it is easier for people to spread fake news and accounts can be hacked into and false information be spread. This can lead to rumors being spread and false accusations of news companies such as channel 7.  

In summation, news channels on social media such as channel 7 can be beneficial for busy audiences and can appeal more to a younger audience, however this can have negative effects such as social media accounts being hacked, and rumors being easily spread.    

Reference list 

Google Books. (2015). ECCWS2015-Proceedings of the 14th European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security 2015. [online] Available at: https://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&lr=&id=BzQ7CgAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA213&dq=biased+news+sources&ots=eX-4DCOcI8&sig=hYjMQnxanAY6tPmflJqUHz8iOW0#v=onepage&q&f=false [Accessed 23 Aug. 2024]. 

Keane, B. (2024). Seven has no point now, except as a symbol of everything rotten in the media. [online] Crikey. Available at: https://www.crikey.com.au/2024/04/18/seven-network-kerry-stokes-media-free-to-air-journalism/ [Accessed 23 Aug. 2024]. 

Koc-Michalska, K. (2020). Public beliefs about Falsehoods in News . [online] Moodle. Available at:uowplatform.edu.au/pluginfile.php/5727201/mod_resource/content/1/W3%20BCM111%201940161220912693.pdf [Accessed 23 Aug. 2024].