The MAD Media

Fake News: Real Prospects

Rick Mercer Report, the Daily Show, the Onion, SNL, The Colbert Report, these are all names within the media realm that are likely to sound familiar. In fact, theses names belong to fake news corporations who may have reached greater popularity than standardized media corporations such as the Toronto Star.

However, this popularity has broader prospects than just a good laugh. With the arrival of the 21st Century has come a bombardment of technology competing for the attention of the general population. With this change there is a need for the media to adapt in order to continue to reach its audience effectively. University of Guelph PhD student and Guelph-Humber media studies instructor Ian Reilly specializes in this kind of fake news, with the impression that, “... fake news captures the Zeitgeist of contemporary culture” (Reilly in Hunt). If this is true, then fake news just might be that necessary tool of breaching the information barrier in this transition of society.

Fake news often uses humour and parody to bring to light a much more serious topic. While it appears on the surface to be more about entertainment than news, Reilly points out that, “Without a strong baseline of information, you’re not going to get the joke, and nothing’s worse than not being in on the joke” (Reilly in Hunt). In this sense, in order to enjoy the consumption of fake news, there needs to be knowledge of the real news stories that are out, and this means there is an incentive to be aware of current issues.

So deep down, are real news and fake news really that different? Sure, one is based on fact, but as Reilly explains, “[Fake news] can be regarded as a form of investigative journalism because fake news is very much invested in the process of digging up and recontextualizing information” (Reilly in Hunt). It seems to stand that at the basis of everything, they both serve the same purpose of creating awareness about current issues and politics, and that awareness is what is key to keeping a society informed and active in their own world.

Work Cited:

Bona Hunt, Lori. "Features: At Guelph." University of Guelph. Web.