Post #11: EOTO #2 Reaction

In the second group's presentation, it discussed the general subject of the media sphere. 

When breaking this topic down, the counterparts that stuck out to me are mainstream media, whistleblowing, and online influencers.

Mainstream Media

To begin, mainstream media are forms of media, especially traditional forms, that influences larger audiences and are likely to represent accepted opinions/beliefs. The presentation gave the example of the "Big Boys" in the US which consists of CNN, Fox, ABC, New York Times, CBS, NBC, and more. Legacy media relates to more older forms of media that dominated prior to the internet like print, film studios, music studios, and radio broadcasting. This includes companies such as Disney, Warner Media, and ViacomCBS. The impact of mainstream media is being able to share public opinion, political influence, agenda setting, and global awareness.

Whistleblowers

A whistleblower is, "someone who reports waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety to someone who is in a position to rectify the wrongdoing." In other words, "they promote transparency by promoting wrongdoing."  

An example of a case of whistleblowing was in 2013 when Edward Snowden created the hugest intelligence leak in the National Security Agency's history. Snowden ended up uncovering various worldwide surveillance strategies. Another instance of whistleblowing was when an emergency room physician in the state of Washington, Dr. Ming Lin, posted on social media how hospitals around the world were lacking in resources and how dangerous COVID-19 was in the emergency room.

Although whistleblowing is thought to be a bad thing, it can be good because it helps expose wrongdoing, protect people, and promote fairness and accountability, especially in cases of fraud, abuse, or safety violations.

Online Influencers

Online influencers are people that are popular on social media, have a numerous amount of followers, and can influence people through what they post online. They can have an impact on politics because they connect with younger voters, share political messages or posts and make conversation about the issues. Online influencers literally "influence" how people view political candidates and encourage them to get involved in the elections. 

Even though they can shape public opinion, mainly with younger voters, it can lead to misinformation because online influencers want more followers to make a lot of money through their views and content.