Introduction
We live in the information age where collection and distribution of news articles is not confined only to media houses. The world’s famous media sites have incorporated social media and private reporters who collect and submit news without proper authentication. The Associated Press is undoubtedly one the most prominent news-gathering organization in the world. The news site has existed and covered political news since 1848. It has been covering news from a vast pool of reporters stationed all over the USA. Molina et al. assert that in the 2016 American presidential election, the news site presented 100% accuracy in the news generated because all the reporters were authenticated (103). The news site has significantly grown, and the number of unauthenticated reporters has increased exponentially. Today, over half of the American population has links to send the news to the site. The authenticity of the information reported by the site may decline as the number of unverified reporters increase. The Associated Press News site can maintain its reputation and prestige when it incorporate a framework to authenticate all the news by the numerous reporters before it is made public.
Regulatory Standards
Unethical Advertising
Advertisement spaces are an essential part of any news site, but they must not affect the readability of the news. Further, the advertisement must not interfere with the ethical standards nor be a nuisance to the readers. Associated Press news site failed the test of ethics and bias as news in the business sections is exaggerated to benefit the advertising company. Biased advertisements preset in the news site raises questions on the organization’s ethics. The Sun News Bureau of the USA sued the Associated Press for offering personal news that provided exaggerated news about their products and led to negative customer reviews (Molina et al. 105). The regulation requires that all news sites operate within the ethical threshold. Associated Press must therefore align all its content to the ethical standards regulating advertisements to protect its reputation.
Social Media Integration
Social media is constantly connecting people and becoming a source of news. The leading news magazines must integrate social media platforms to collect news material and views. The integration with social media must be cascaded with efficient editors to ensure that people post authenticated news. The collection of information from unauthorized sources without proper auditing is likely to turn a popular site into a fake news or propaganda room. Though I concede that the Associated Press has managed to authenticate all news before being published, an influx in the unauthorized reporters are likely to jeopardize the quality of news. The company must therefore initiate a framework of scrutinizing all the news articles before they can be considered as news. The social media integration in the Associated Press has led to the release of unverified news hence jeopardizing the site’s credibility (Molina et al. 190). It is imperative to note that a serious online news site has a unique integration framework where it shares news in a way that isolates fake and authentic news.
Some readers may challenge my view on the authentication procedure, stating that the Associated Press has a clear auditoria prism to filter news. Mallick et al. states that the company has a clear and comprehensive editorial team which works on the reports from the pool of reporters before being released as news. My response, however, is that it takes more than reading to distinguish between fake and authentic news. The key characteristics of a credible source include clarity, verifiability, and present accurate news (Zhang and Ghorbani 99). The editorial team must only check the presented articles on the lens of clarity, reputation of the source, and whether the information can be verified. Hiring a professional and ethical team is the key to achieve credibility. Associated Press must therefore ensure that it sets the validation framework to ensure that all news content is authenticated through all the lens before release.
The credibility issue in the news site is essential because it will likely affect the site’s reputation. I disagree with Molina’s et al. view point that Associated Press is credible because it has existed for a long time (105). I reiterate that the only constant thing in the contemporary world is change. Unless the company works on the news source’s credibility, the reputation will likely be affected. Authentication should therefore be the critical point of concern in the magazine to ensure that people are always looking for credible news (Zhang and Ghorbani 104). It is imperative to note that minor mistakes brought down numerous organizations. Suppose the cases by the Sun News Bureau and other complaints against the Associated Press reach the public domain. In that case, its reputation is likely to be negatively affected (Mallick et al. 14). Positive reputation can only be maintained if the organization ensures that the news generated is credible and authentic before being released to the news.
Categorization
Categorization is an essential element in the news sites for the audience to navigate the news that is interesting to them. One of the essential features of a credible news article is its segmentation and categorization. Topics from several niches must be categorized for easy assessment and reading. I agree with Zhang and Ghorbani’s statement that AP has categorizations such as world news, US news, and other segments (103). There are other segments, such as health, science, and fiction. However, the categorization could be more precise because categorizing by country may make it hard to identify an article in a given niche but in a specified country. A serious news site in the contemporary world has an effective categorization to ensure that the audience gets the news more efficiently. The categorization must be revised to ensure that the vast topics in the present-day world are captured for easy assessment and updating. The site must also be responsive to allow the readers to navigate to areas where they get the news effectively.
One of the key experts in the news site categorization, Mallick et al. stated that AP had made tremendous development in grouping news in the country (13). However, if the site is well categorized, there should be a possibility of determining the source of the other categorized according to country and region for more understanding (Zhang and Ghorbani 104). As a popular news site, AP has gained popularity worldwide due to the quality of the news it airs. As new sites and sources of news are being formulated, AP is likely to face threats unless it reforms its way of categorizing its news according to niche as required by international standards.
Conflict of Interest
The ability of a news resource to report news effectively without conflict of interest determines the credibility of the news source. A successful news site has a legal framework to ensure no conflict of interest when delivering news to the audience. For example, when giving political news, journalists who take political sides are likely to jeopardize the authenticity of the news. Mallick et al. assert that AP has a legal framework to have all workers prove their allegiance to the company through signing, but more is needed to ensure this (15). The law, however, does not deprive news anchors and journalists of the right to associate. There is a need to have a more robust framework to ensure that all people have a chance to associate and enhance their professions and ensure that they are not affected by conflict of interest. Headlines must be created without bias for the audience to get appropriate information and news.
Conclusion
Credibility is one of the most critical aspects of a news site which makes it maintain its loyal customers and audience. When a news source cannot maintain its credibility, its reputation is destroyed, and its sustainability is jeopardized. AP is one of the world’s oldest and most revered online media outlets. It has passed the test of time and has maintained its reputation throughout the ages. The site, however, fails the test of unethical advertising, categorization, and social media integration. Further, conflict of interest is likely to persist unless the present auditoria framework is adjusted to ensure effective news delivery in the contemporary world. It is up to the AP management to address all the concerns regarding ethics, auditing framework, and authentication to guarantee its sustainability in the news niche.
Works Cited
Mallick, Pradeep Kumar, et al. “Digital Media News Categorization using Bernoulli Document Model for Web Content Convergence.” Personal and Ubiquitous Computing, 2020, pp. 1-16.
Molina, Maria D., et al. “Fake News” is not simply False Information: A concept Explication and Taxonomy of Online Content.” American Behavioral Scientist, vol. 65. no. 2, 2021, pp. 180–212.
Zhang, Xichen, and Ali A. Ghorbani. “An Overview of Online Fake News: Characterization, Detection, and Discussion.” Information Processing & Management, vol. 57. no.2, 2020, pp. 102-105.