Assignment #2: Mass Communication II—Internet and News

Since the internet’s invention in the 1980s, its use has been expanding unprecedently, and
no one knows what the future holds. Today, its popularity and capabilities have not given birth to
social media platforms with exceptional communication, advertising, and news reporting and
consumption. According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 20 percent of Americans in
2018 reported getting news from social media, compared to only 16 percent that said they
regularly get it from print newspapers (Shearer, 2018). Despite its widespread use, the internet
and online information present considerable authority, credibility, and selectivity challenges.
This paper discusses some of these challenges and the impact of “click fraud.” It also
compares/contrasts the benefits and setbacks of broadcast versus print news.
Question # 1 – Concerns About Online Information Credibility, Authority, and Selectivity
The rise of the internet and online information sources has raised credibility, selectivity,
and authority concerns. According to Dominick (2013), these issues have been exacerbated by a
lack of gatekeepers (television news directors and print newspaper editors) in today’s digital
world. Unlike traditional media that boasts of multiple gatekeepers, online has none. This has
multiple implications on online sources’ selectivity, credibility, and authority. For instance, in
selectivity, a lack of gatekeepers has made it easier for users to overload the system with
inconsequential, worthless, trivial, and unwanted information. Dominick even asks whether the
world currently needs 14 million tweets and 130 million blogs daily.
Secondly, gatekeepers (television news directors and newspaper editors) also serve as
information evaluators, often increasing its credibility and authority. According to Dominick
(2013), TV news directors and newspaper editors are integral in evaluating the credibility and
authenticity of potential news sources before being broadcasted or printed. This does not mean

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that gatekeepers are infallible. Many errors can filter through the hands and gates of even the
most established magazines, newspapers, and TV or radio networks. Nonetheless, if the system
functions appropriately, false information, unsubstantiated rumors or gossip, and bogus news tips
are detected and removed before they are broadcast or published. In comparison, information
retrieved on the internet and other digital platforms come without assurance of credibility and
authenticity.
Thirdly, lacking gatekeepers means the absence of authority, control, and censorship over
the internet. According to Dominick (2013), the internet operates like a huge metropolis or city.
There are other streets or boulevards where an entire family might feel safe and comfortable, and
others would not wish to take their kids. Finally, the internet is often overloaded with
information can present a selection challenge to users. A single click might indiscriminately
show millions of web pages, and selecting the most credible ones can be a headache for users.
Question # 2 – “Click Fraud” and Its Impact on Internet Advertising
“Click fraud” refers to fraud or deception on the digital platforms in PPC (pay-per-click)
advertising. This type of promotion or advertising occurs when website owners posting ads are
compensated by how many clicks visitors make on the ads. Usually, fraud happens when a web
bot, auto clicker, computer program, automated script, or a person mimics a legitimate visitor on
the website, clicking such ads without showing genuine interest to increase revenue. The goal is
to fake more clicks to increase revenue since more clicks translate to more payment from the
advertisers. Click fraud has recently raised controversy because advertising websites or networks
benefit from swindling innocent companies.
Click fraud negatively affects the credibility, reliability, and authenticity of internet
promotion, marketing, and advertising. It creates the false impression that companies (those

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advertising their products) are gaining viewership or membership while, in truth, advertising
websites are only cooking clicks to blind them and running away with free dollars. In worst-case
scenarios, websites found guilty tend to face legal lawsuits from their clients (companies
swindled), leading to reputational and possibly financial losses for the advertisers. Governments
can also take legal action to shut these websites. Most importantly, these litigations can
negatively damage the credibility of internet advertising and online advertisers, affecting income
generated by legitimate websites (including social network sites) that depend on such revenue to
expand and sustain operations.
Besides reputational damage and revenue losses for internet advertisers, click frauds can
lead to losses for companies relying on websites to market their products and gauge their
performance. According to Sadeghpour & Vlajic (2021), fraudulent clicks can artificially surge
advertising costs. This is because most botnets and other malicious automated traffic generate
fake clicks and invalid impressions to milk money from unsuspecting consumers. These attacks
can falsely mislead potential buyers to the wrong inventory, preventing advertising companies
from reaching a broader customer base. Ultimately, skewing advertising metrics and analytics by
botnets can lead to invalid business decisions and waste a significant amount of advertising and
marketing revenue.

Question # 3 – Strengths and Weaknesses of Print vs. Broadcast News
Print and broadcast news are some of the oldest media channels developed by
media houses for sharing news, advertising products, or entertaining people. Print
media is characterized by printing and distributing media via newspapers, posters,
leaflets, brochures, and magazines. Broadcast media uses video content, audio
podcasts, the internet, cable networks, and other broadcasting platforms to

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communicate with the public.
Despite several decades old, print and broadcast media have unique strengths
and weaknesses. For example, print media’s benefits include reaching multiple
generations (if stored safely). It can also produce a loyal customer base, allow more
visibility for small enterprises, gives a higher return on investment compared to digital
ads, and is appropriate for local targeting. It also appeals to visual learners/audiences,
is immensely powerful to coin bespoke messages, flexible to create legitimate trust,
and lacks follow-back disruptions. Conversely, print media requires longer lead times,
planning, and multiple exposures. It is expensive, not meant for an international
audience, and highly competitive (Dominick, 2013).
On the other hand, the benefits of broadcast media include the ability to reach a
global audience quickly, being trusted by the public for fact-checked and relevant
information, abd the ability to target an audience. It also has a high impact, allows for
active product demonstration, and enjoys the trust of companies for advertising. The
setbacks of broadcast media include high production costs, non-portability, long lead
time, inability to delve into details (compared to print media), and information
broadcast has a short lifespan.

Conclusion

From this discussion, it is evident that concerns about the credibility, selectivity, and
authority of online information are centered on a lack of gatekeepers to authenticate digital data
shared by millions of users and the overloading of information on online platforms. Like
traditional broadcast and print media, online platforms, such as social media sites, lack
authoritative figures to validate content protested by users. Also, it can be noted that “click

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fraud” dents the profitability of online advertising and the reputation of fraudulent websites.
Finally, the discussion has shown that both print and broadcast media have benefits and setbacks.
For example, print media can be stored for several generations while broadcast media cannot.

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References

Dominick, J. R. (2013). The dynamics of mass communication. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Sadeghpour, S., & Vlajic, N. (2019). Click fraud in digital advertising: A comprehensive survey.
Computers, 10, 164. https://doi.org/10.3390/computers10120164
Shearer, E. (2018, Dec 10). Social media outpaces print newspapers in the U.S. as a news
source. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/12/10/social-
media-outpaces-print-newspapers-in-the-u-s-as-a-news-source/