Investigative reporters, rebels and muckrakers. These are the people who got in the nitty-gritty of what was going on in their communities and fought for reform. They discovered the truth and passed along their findings to those in their surroundings that were affected. They reported hard-hitting stories that coincide with the core of journalism, but this core is quickly faltering. 

Social media and news reports have become platforms for gossip, speculation and meaningless headlines that completely ignore the foundation journalism was based on and should begin its journey back on the path of coverage and truth. 

Headlines- headlines are what catch the eye of readers and many don’t even go beyond them to get the full story. People pass along the brief information they came across while scrolling through a given social media platform, but they do not realize that the headline could’ve been taken out of context and not give the full account of what happened. By relaying false or misunderstood information, real stories turn into unnecessary gossip and scandals due to simple ignorance and speaking before one thinks. Headlines need to catch the eye of readers while still staying true to the content and facts the story contains. Getting back to the heart of journalism begins with headlines and the competence of those who share them.

Quality and relevance of content is another main issue with current media and the journalistic world. It is a given that everyone will have various interests, and on most occasions, those interests will correspond with what they will read about. Even though fashion and entertainment are topics of interest, the hard-hitting stories about local, national and global news sometimes are overshadowed by the fluffy pieces on what people’s favorite celebrities are wearing this season. News is news, but the “muckraking” stories need more attention to keep true journalism alive. 

Current and up and coming journalists need to focus more on the real stories that affect the well-being of the people rather than flashy headlines, speculation and gossip.