A news outlet is an organization that provides information on current events to its audience through various media outlets such as newspapers, radio and television. These outlets can have a significant impact on how the public views certain issues and political matters. News outlets are subject to journalistic ethics and standards and must strive for fairness in their reporting. The diversity of news outlets in the United States allows for a wide range of perspectives on current events, which promotes healthy debate and discussion.
The majority of Americans get their news at least sometimes from digital sources, including news websites and apps, social media, and email newsletters. In this fact sheet, we look at how these different platforms differ in their reach and impact on Americans’ perceptions of the world around them.
When writing an article, the author (or anchor/host in the case of tv and radio) should clearly indicate their viewpoint or expertise on a topic. Ideally, a reporter will be able to interview people who hold strong viewpoints on the issue and present multiple sides of the story. The reporter should also always clearly cite where they got their quotes and never assume that readers know who the person is that they’re quoting. If a grammatical error in an exact quote might make someone look bad, the reporter should decide whether it would be unfair to leave the mistake in.
Advocacy journalism is a type of journalism that tries to persuade viewers, listeners or readers to accept a particular narrative by leaving out critical information that might work against the narrative. In contrast, informative journalism attempts to provide all the information that a viewer, listener or reader would need in order to follow a complete narrative.