EOTO #2 Reaction: Who Controls the Narrative?
During our recent EOTO presentations, three topics stood out to me the most: gatekeeping and agenda setting, whistleblowing, and alternative media and citizen journalism. Each one challenged the way I think about the media; how it's structured, who’s behind it, and how much control everyday people actually have in shaping what we see and hear.
Gatekeeping & Agenda Setting: Who’s Choosing What We Pay Attention To?
Let’s start with gatekeeping; the idea that editors, producers, or even algorithms decide which stories make it into the spotlight and which are kept out. That kind of power can control public perception without us even realizing it. Whether it’s a news station choosing to cover a political scandal but not a local protest, or a social media app boosting certain content over others, gatekeeping happens constantly.
Closely tied to this is agenda setting, a media theory that explains how what we see in the news influences what we think is important. If you hear about inflation on every platform, you're more likely to view it as the top national issue, even if other things matter too. It’s not necessarily manipulation, it’s prioritization. But when those priorities are filtered through business interests, politics, or bias, it can seriously skew our understanding of the world.
A great resource to explore how this happens across different outlets is Media Bias/Fact Check, which breaks down how gatekeeping impacts bias in news coverage.
Whistleblowing: Speaking Up, No Matter the Risk
Next up is whistleblowing, which honestly gave me a deeper appreciation for the people behind the headlines. Whistleblowers are individuals who expose wrongdoing, anything from corporate fraud to government overreach; by reporting it to people who can address it. Sometimes that’s an internal department, other times it’s the media.
Their actions can protect public safety, promote transparency, and hold powerful people accountable. But it’s not without consequences. Whistleblowers often face backlash; losing their jobs, dealing with legal threats, or even risking their lives. A well-known example is Edward Snowden, who leaked classified info on U.S. government surveillance. Whether you agree with what he did or not, the conversation he started was huge.
There are organizations like the National Whistleblower Center that provide legal and emotional support for people in this situation, but the risks remain very real.
Alternative Media & Citizen Journalism: Voices Outside the System
Lastly, we explored alternative media and citizen journalism, and I was surprised by how much these two have grown in influence. Alternative media includes sources outside the mainstream, things like blogs, YouTube news channels, podcasts, and independent reporters. Citizen journalism is when regular people, not professionals, report on events they witness, often using social media or personal blogs.
These platforms offer fresh perspectives, give a voice to marginalized communities, and help spread information quickly; especially during protests, disasters, or events where traditional media can’t be everywhere at once. They’ve played key roles in movements like Black Lives Matter and coverage of global conflicts.
But of course, there are trade-offs. Without formal fact-checking or editorial oversight, misinformation and bias are much more likely to spread. That’s why it’s so important for both creators and viewers to be media literate.
If you’re interested in how this space is evolving, Columbia Journalism Review has a solid breakdown of the current state of citizen reporting.
Connecting the Dots
Putting all these pieces together, I walked away from these presentations realizing just how interconnected and powerful media really is. Whether it's a journalist choosing what story leads the news, a whistleblower risking everything to tell the truth, or a student uploading raw footage from a protest, someone is always shaping the narrative.
And that’s why it matters that we stay alert. We need to question what we’re shown, think critically about who benefits from the story, and understand the forces working behind the scenes. In today’s digital age, awareness is everything.
No comments:
Post a Comment