‘News will find me’ mindset makes people trust algorithms and online networks
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — One in three people believe they don’t have to seek the news from traditional outlets like newspapers and television. Instead, they think the “news will find me” (NFM), relying on algorithms and social networks to get their information. A research team led by Penn State scholars recently found that these individuals often consider their online networks to be as trustworthy as professional editors and journalists.
This mindset may make people more vulnerable to believing and sharing misinformation, according to the researchers, who published their findings in the journal Social Media & Society.
There's an earnest belief among many (particularly the young) that an algorithm scraping social media for new information could provide a better objective picture of what is happening in the world than relying on individual news outlets.
Social media has done a ton to amplify voices that wouldn't have otherwise been heard, but it has also reinforced the growing belief that reliable news simply appears out of thin air.
You might believe information should be free. That's a valid opinion; but expecting news to be free is the same as asking to be lied to.
