satire site

The Onion: A Satire Website

The Onion is the satire website I chose for this assignment. The site’s parody of a gender-related theme is about generosity. The website describes a kind man who took the initiative to discuss a coworker’s thoughts with their employer, saving her the effort of doing so (The Onion, 2017).

News Sources I Use

We now have a plethora of competing mediums, making it simple to select news sources. In my situation, I get my news from the radio, the internet, the television, and the newspaper. I use Google to look for information and visit the BBC website. In addition, I get sports news via the BBC and Sky Sports RSS feeds. With newspapers, I read the local newspapers such as USA Today and The New York Times. The news from the radio is significant to me in two ways. First, I listen to the news when I am outside and not using the internet. Second, the radio allows me to listen to foreign stations that offer news that I cannot find in other sources. Regarding the TV, I watch it at 12 o’clock and in the evening to fill in the gaps with information from BBC World News, CBS, and Fox.

Liberal vs. Conservative News Sources

A liberal-leaning legitimate news source that I searched using Google is The Guardian while the conservative-leaning legitimate news source is Fox News.

The Guardian: Significance of Generosity

The issues covered by The Guardian include the following. First, the news source talks about the significance of generosity. Generous individuals find success in helping other people succeed. Besides, they believe that changing one life is worthwhile. In the article by The Guardian news source, Rebecca Sinclair, a resident of Swan Hill, portrays generosity by donating blood to the Australian Red Cross to save lives (Bate, 2017). According to the article, generosity is a virtue that saves lives. The second issue that the article explains concerns the increased number of donors. Generous people think that life is short and they embrace the reality fully. People should recognize that they have a short time to live; therefore, we should cheerfully offer our resources to achieve our dreams. In the article, plenty of people from Swan Hill are regular blood donors. For instance, Sara Alexander had six donations while Rebecca Sinclair had given blood 27 times (Bate, 2017).

Fox News: Generosity Leads to Greater Happiness

Regarding Fox News, the issues covered by the news source include the following. First, the news source talks about how generosity leads to greater happiness. Individuals who provide experience happiness and purpose in life. Similarly, those who receive gifts from generous people tend to experience a changed life. The article explains how a Pizza Hut waitress is no longer homeless after receiving a generous gift from the customer (Fox News, 2017). Krystal Kramer said that she found herself homeless after the flood destroyed her apartment and she could not afford a new home. Kramer is an independent person who moved into the hotel to earn money to survive the hard conditions. She had been receiving donations from the Red Cross, but they could not help her with the problem. The $588 tip from the generous customers was enough to help Kramer find a new home and live happily (Fox News, 2017).

Distinguishing Real News from Fake News

It is possible for one to distinguish real news from fake news. First, one can determine fake or real news by checking the source. One should pay attention to the domain and URL of the news source. Organizations that offer real news usually own their domains. Moreover, those domains have a standard look that the audience is familiar with. For instance, in the above two articles, we have theguardian.com and foxnews.com. A site with a domain such as theguardian.com is probably not legitimate. Second, I can distinguish real news from fake news by looking at the person who wrote the news. You will know an article provides real news when it contains the real byline of a real journalist. Fake news does not contain such things. After finding the byline, you can look at the biography of the author to identify whether the journalist wrote the article with the intention of informing the audience.

Parody and Satire in Legitimate News Sites

Legitimate news sites engage in parody and satire to entertain the audience. The sites offer audiences with funny news on the current situation in the country. Additionally, the sites have real political effects on those who watch them. People who watch satirical news choose a news source that matches their attitude. Both liberals and conservatives will choose sites that they find comfortable.

Author Bias in News

One can discern author bias by looking at the generalization of the article or text. If the author is not specific when presenting the information, then he/she is biased. Also, you will know whether the author is biased when he/she makes broad statements. Second, the author is biased when he exaggerates the information. Overstating something portrays biasedness. In the two articles, the authors’ main point was on the significance of generosity. The authors tried to explain the importance of being generous and the impact generosity has on a person.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, I will consider The Onion as the best satire site in terms of brand recognition and readership. When determining whether the site offers real or fake news, the beauty of the website’s layout makes it look like a regular news source. Most people use the internet or TV to get news. When distinguishing between fake and real news, one should concentrate on the domain of the source and the author.

References

Bate, J. (2017). Generosity is a life saver. The Guardian. Retrieved on March 12, 2017 from: http://www.theguardian.com.au/story/4419397/generosity-is-a-life-saver/?cs=12

Fox News. (2017). Pizza Hut waitress says she’s no longer homeless after generous tip. Retrieved on March 12, 2017 from: http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/01/20/pizza-hut-waitress-says-s-no-longer-homeless-after-generous-tip.html

The Onion. (2017). Helpful man saves woman effort of telling idea to boss herself. Retrieved on March 12, 2017 from: http://www.theonion.com/article/helpful-man-saves-woman-effort-telling-idea-boss-h-55501