What is Truth?

Abel Rodriguez

The way in which we search for and receive news has radically changed over the course of the last century. Long gone are the days of reading a local newspaper or watching the morning news with your favorite anchors. The news and communication field has been disrupted by the rise of the internet and the popularity of social media platforms. Social media platforms have tremendous influencing power now impacting all demographics, but primarily it targets the age demographic of 40 and under. For example, a study published in 2015 by the Media Insight Project found that 88 percent of millennials get some of their news from Facebook, with over half of those respondents reporting they do so every day. [1]

 The dangers of sourcing news through social media largely stem from the highly competitive and oversaturated news broadcasting market, where only those who can captivate the audience’s short attention span will succeed. Desperate measures like sensational headlines, clickbait articles, or censorship are implored to retain high viewership. Because of this, suddenly the truth becomes harder to find. What Is Truth? is an interactive exhibition that visually reflects the chaotic landscape of social media platforms and the difficulty in finding a clear unbiased report on any given topic. The interactive posters within this installation educate the viewer on the practice of verifying news consumed through social media to combat the spread of misinformation.

[1] “'Who Shared It?' How Americans Decide What News to Trust On Social Media.” American Press Institute, May 24, 2017. https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/publications/reports/survey-research/trust-social-media/.