Millennials & Unedited News - Getting it Wrong

Millennials and News

"Check all your sources twice...Except for your mother. Check her three times!" Attributed to Ben Bradlee.  

Pew Research has found that young adults are more likely to say vaccinating kids should be a parental choice. 41% percent believe the choice should up to the parent. That is, despite the fact that measles in this country was almost eradicated after the development of the vaccine in 1963.

Part of the concern is the false link between the MMR vaccine and Autism. The link was discredited several years ago. Vox reinforced the information that the link was a deliberate hoax in a posting today.

This study, lead by the discredited physician-researcher Andrew Wakefield, is where the current vaccine-autism debate started. It has since been thoroughly eviscerated: the Lancet retracted the paper, investigators have described the research as an "elaborate fraud," and Wakefield has lost his medical license.

Wakefield's study included 12 children, and only five had Autism. The results of his study could not be duplicated and 1.3 million children studied since has debunked his research.

Study of 1.3 Million Kids Reveals No Link Between Vaccines And Autism

The hoax lives on...feeding on fears through the Internet and social media. The hoax is perpetuated by celebrities and  partisan politics. According to Pew Research 34% of Republicans think the choice of vaccinating should be left to the parents despite the clear risk to the rest of the population. More Republicans are likely to believe the link exists according to Pew. According to Pew Research 34% of Republicans think the choice of vaccinating should be left to the parents despite the clear risk to the rest of the population. Governor Chris Christie added credence to the hoax today.  He came out in favor of parental choice. You can find out more about what Christie had to say on a post at the Time Magazine website. Other Republican hopefuls are on the choice bandwagon including Rand Paul and Sarah Palin who say they have spoken with countless parents with heart rending stories.

Chris Christie’s Terrible Vaccine Advice

How Millennials Get News 

Research by University of Texas at Austin journalism professor Paula Poindexter points out that Young people do not make it a priority to stay informed. They feel that media talks down to them, comes off as propaganda or is just plain boring. They also think most news media do not cover issues important to them. The consider most news to be garbage. Instead they rely on smart phones and apps and share news through social media, and texting.

The result is a misinformed generation

News from social media is unfiltered. Press releases and pronouncements from pundits, politicians and celebrities is all about a point of view and partisanship. It has nothing to do with the facts. To reach millennials we need to find ways to reach them. Making sure news is available on the platforms being used by millennials is important. Equally important is having the news delivered in a way that relates to that generation.




http://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2015/01/31