Elite Paywalls or Social Media Misinformation: The Alarming Future of ‘Two Tier’ Journalism
Social media misinformation contributed significantly to the spread of riots across the UK in summer 2024.
Byline Times
The UK is facing a “grim” world of “two tier” journalism, in which access to high-quality information is reserved for the few, with increasing numbers relying solely on dangerously unreliable online sources for their news, according to a new Parliamentary report.
The Lords Communications and Digital Select Committee, in a report on “the future of news” suggest that current trends in the industry such as the worsening economics of mass market journalism, low trust among the public and a growing number of people actively avoiding mainstream reporting is contributing to this malaise.
It states starkly that “There is a realistic possibility of the UK’s news environment fracturing irreparably along social, regional and economic lines within the next 5–10 years. The implications for our society and democracy would be grim.”
It adds, having taken evidence from a wide range of people, including national newspapers and group owners, national broadcasters, academics, think tanks and tech giants on a visit to San Francisco, “The period of having informed citizens with a shared understanding of facts is not inevitable and may not endure.”
ADDITIONAL NEWS FROM THE INTEGRITY PROJECT