Fewer and fewer people trust the media
Raúl Reís, dean of the School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina, gave a lecture at INTEC in which he addressed the main causes of the loss of confidence in the media and recommended actions to change the situation.
SANTO DOMINGO. - Public trust in the media and information organizations has steadily declined over time. While in 1970 in the United States 70% of the audience believed in the news published in newspapers or broadcast on radio and television, in 2022, in a survey conducted by Gallup, only 34% of those surveyed said they trusted the media for information.
This was stated by Raúl Reís, dean of the School of Journalism and Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), who gave the lecture “Integrity and ethics in current journalism” to students and teachers of the Social Communication and Digital Media program at the Instituto Tecnológico de Santo Domingo (INTEC).
At the meeting organized by the Embassy of the United States in the Dominican Republic and the Department of Social Sciences and Humanities of the university, Reís stated that sensationalism, the mixing of news and entertainment, the lack of recognition of errors by journalists, and the lack of transparency regarding the journalistic process are factors that diminish confidence in the media.
He noted that social media is now used more frequently as a source of information. “By 2023, about 50% of American adults will get their news from social media,” he said.
The expert pointed out that transparency is crucial to regaining trust, as well as the recognition and correction of errors by the media and the journalist. He also appreciated that every day more media and journalists resort to “explaining” their creative process, that is, they share appendices with notes, audios with their conversations and upload the documents from which they were able to obtain some important element of their journalistic work.
She also urged the media not only to make complaints, but also to focus more on news about solutions and positive aspects, and to value interaction with the audience to understand their interests.
Valuing the diversity of voices on a problem or topic was another of Reís' recommendations, who questioned the fact that journalists normally try to look for both sides of the coin, when they should focus on the plurality of ideas.
At the meeting, Dalul Ordehi, dean of the Social Sciences and Humanities Area of INTEC, gave a few words of greeting in which she thanked the Embassy of the United States in the Dominican Republic for considering INTEC as a collaborator or ally to promote good journalism and quality training in the area of Communication.
The coordinator of the Social Communication and Digital Media program, Alfredo Padrón, participated in the activity, as well as teachers and students of the degree, who had the opportunity to interact extensively with Reís, about the current situation of journalistic practice. Representing the United States Embassy were Michelle Angulo, spokesperson and press attaché, and Keyla Díaz, communications specialist.
In a few words of thanks, Padrón praised the U.S. Embassy's continued interest in making joint efforts to enrich the training of new professionals, contributing to issues that concern today's society.
About Raul Reis
Raul Reis joined the University of North Carolina Hussman School of Journalism and Media (UNC Hussman) as dean in July 2022. He previously served as dean of the School of Communication at Emerson College for six years, where he was also a tenured professor in the Department of Communication Studies. Prior to that, he served as dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Florida International University (FIU) in Miami, Florida, from 2011 to 2016. Reis has 25 years of experience in academia and a distinguished track record of creating programs that have prepared students for the dynamic world of digital media.
About INTEC's Social Communication and Digital Media degree
La Bachelor's degree in Social Communication and Digital Media It prepares students to perform various roles in the communications sector: public relations consulting firms, advertising agencies, media centres, cultural industries, web content creation and management companies), the communication content production sector (publishers, newspapers, magazines and interactive media, television channels and companies in the audiovisual sector), the service sector and industry in general (marketing, corporate communication and public relations areas, communication offices of public or private organisations, both locally and internationally).
Those interested in becoming professionals in social communication can obtain more information on how to study at INTEC by accessing the URL: https://www.intec.edu.do/oferta-academica/grado/ciencias-sociales-y-humanidades/item/licenciatura-en-comunicacion-social-y-medios-digitales
INTEC's Social Communication and Digital Media degree offers a complete degree, including a bachelor's degree, diploma, master's degree and doctorate.