Is There an Upside to "Fake News"?

PositionMASS MEDIA

Since "fake news" emerged as a topic of global debate, public trust in the media has dropped to 43%. Daily newspaper publishers have watched their weekday circulation plummet from 62,000,000 to an estimated 35,000,000 over a span of 26 years. Today, 93% of adults in the U.S. get their news online through mobile devices or desktops. This insatiable demand for news and information has led to a consumer-driven economy--where consumers are more informed and are running the show.

"Fake news" accusations appear to have created a "credibility crisis" and impacted public trust in the media, "but we've seen an increase in the number of media outlets carrying news to the public--and the amount of content the media is putting out." says Karla Jo Helms, founder and CEO of JoTo PR, Tampa Bay, Fla. Even The New York Times is trying to figure out how to handle this insane demand for information by producing 230 articles a day, 365 days a year.

Reuters reports that online news services are experiencing record growth. For instance, from November 2016 to June 2017, The New York Times added more than 500,000 digital subscribers; The New Yorker, 250,000; and The Wall Street Journal, 200,000. In addition, U.S. online news payments jumped from nine percent to 16%...

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