Abstract
Sometimes, the omission of certain
sources’ information can be the best way to combat fake news and propaganda.
However, some reporters involuntary are helping liars to spread false
information and ideological commentaries with their news. Is it really an
obligation of journalists to report everything provide for a clearly deceiver spokesperson?
Enrique
Castejon-Lara
Major
studies in Mass Communication recognize noise as a perturbation of message
transmission. Noise, in this case, is any external content element that affects
message comprehension. So that, noise is not the same thing than silence. An
omission in a news chain may be part of the meaning of the own messages.
In that
sense, in certain occasions, quietness can have stronger connotation than any
word that journalists can write or pronounce. For that reason, reporters have to
decide when omit sources’ quotes that can contribute to create an interested
confusing information environment. He or she, ethically, cannot become a
diffusion agent for fake facts promoters.
However,
constantly we can read stories on newspapers, hear on radio or watch on TV
broadcast reports about false facts only because they were announced by
“important” sources. Today journalistic principles reject that old fashion rule.
Prominence of a spokesperson is not a guaranty of truth.
Therefore,
the major strike that journalist can do against information manipulators and
propaganda agents, is introducing a deep gap in their deceiving communication strategies
no reporting their false news. Only in that way, fake-fact promoters will understand
the huge strong meaning of silence in journalism. A blocked liar source has,
definitely, a big impact on honest journalism.
