101 January 1, 2020 89. Advertising - influences Some people think that the news media has become much more influential in people’s lives today and it is a negative development. Do you agree or disagree It is commonly held that the news has become an invasive force in people’s everyday lives. In my opinion, I completely disagree with this viewpoint because the news contributes greatly to the decision making process of discerning citizens. Modern news media properly consumed improves its readership’s ability to make quality decisions regarding their own interests. One standout example of this is the way that people follow political issues. In democratic countries, it is difficult to argue that there is anything more important than staying informed of political developments. When Americans learned about the harmful effects of global warming on our environment they began to advocate, through the ballot box and general public sentiment, for reforms. This has led to the election and overhaul of policies related to environmental conservation and is the direct result of information gleaned from experts on the news. Some rightly argue that the news is not always trustworthy. Individuals and organisations are always attempting to twist the news to their advantage. A good example of this would be the recent rise of online news. Online news goes up immediately and is therefore much more likely to contain mistakes than news verified and published in newspapers. Retractions in newspapers are rarely read and they are almost unheard of for online news, despite their increasing frequency. This is a decided consequence of the way people consume news today but readers can avoid this by only trusting reputable sources like The New York Times or the BBC and not naively believing every article they happen across. In conclusion, I believe that the merits of staying informed far outweigh any perceived drawbacks. People should take the time to find reliable news sources and vet the articles most pertinent to them. Word count 291
