Herd mentality “news” is the most manipulative kind of news media outlets have come up with… and its everywhere.
We aren’t talking about your digital filter bubble. Quite simply, we’re talking about the sound you get in the field or during a formal interview. Then turn into 10-second bites for your package, VO/SOT, or whatever piece (or pieces) you are creating for the day.
The measles outbreak, which has fallen out of it’s annual newscycle appearance, is a prime example. The 1969 episode of The Brady Bunch went viral among the pro-vaccine choice movement as proof this vaccine was never a big deal. While Carol Brady had her hands full with her unvaccinated children, the rest of America was just beginning to vaccinate their children for the disease (it was first introduced in 1963).
Today, it’s hard to find a mom with six kids, let alone a mom with six unvaccinated kids. But they do exist. Which is why their voices need to be included in your story. For decades, mainstream media outlets have been proponents of pro-vaccination voices. So much so that many young people in news media (and even the not-so-young ones) are unable to recall a time when we last heard a pro-vaccine choice voice who was reasonable and not portrayed as a psychopath. This likely happened because of herd mentality reporting.
Merriam-Webster defines “herd mentality” as “the tendency of the people in a group to think and behave in ways that conform with others in the group rather than as individuals.” Quite simply, outlets have used so many man-on-the-street soundbytes of pro-vaccination ideals it is now a foreign idea to us to be pro-vaccine choice.
Parents are obviously not the only sound we put into our packages. Doctors and “experts” always love to put their two cents in, too. If either get into vaccination, you as a journalist should stop them. It is between an American and their doctor if vaccination is right for them or their loved one. Generic soundbytes on how everyone should be vaccinated are more than just unwarranted advice. It is unethical for journalists.
Now, I know what everyone is thinking: What about reporting on disease prevention? Vaccination is the best way to prevent infection, shouldn’t we the media be advising on how to prevent diseases spread? In short, no.
Here is the problem: you don’t know what kind of pre-existing conditions your audience has. Meaning your unwarranted advice might not be the best for them. What is best for them is maintaining journalistic integrity. You also probably don’t know if the doctor you are interviewing receives kickbacks from drug companies (which is illegal). It is not up to the media to be proponents for vaccine usage.
One good way to stay neutral is if you do use sound of a pro-vaccine doctor or parent, you must have a pro-vaccine choice voice in the piece, too. This is something many outlets missed during the outbreak of COVID and the more recent measles outbreak.
A second way is just avoid putting any advice or “prevention practices” in your piece. Instead, do this:
- Say what measles is
- Tell the viewer is how your body reacts among common cases
- One-liners about what happens in rare cases are acceptable but making this the basis of your story and blowing over what is common among people is showing you lack journalistic integrity.
- Sound from a doctor on the best way to treat measles (and what to do in a rare case)
Additionally, vaccination is not a left vs. right issue. There are as many crunchy granola lib moms who don’t want their kids vaccinated as there are conspiracy theorist conservative moms who want the same thing.
This journalist sense should not just be reserved for reporting on infectious diseases but across all sorts of news. You might have noticed I’ve been using the terms “pro-vaccine” and “pro-vaccine choice” in this piece. Using the phrase “anti-vaccine” does not give a summation of what some parents, doctors, (and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.) want. What they are asking for is simply the right to choose when and if you/your child gets vaccinated with anything.
When your agenda is just news, the job is simple. Gather facts not opinions. Herd mentality is one way journalistic standards have become blurry over the years. This was the first step in journalist bias and it dates back to the late 1800s and early 1900s. Journalists took an ideal/narrative and made it seem like it was commonplace to convince readers to join the crowd.
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Fortunately, at Barrett Media, our reporting is always neutral and factual and there is no blur in the standards of this organization. Under Jason’s strong leadership and Garrett’s seamless editing skills, facts are paramount. (Correct, we don’t report on measles but you get my point. In order to work here you must have high journalistic integrity.) This is why its so hard to say goodbye.
For nearly a year and a half you have welcomed me onto your screens and for this I am very grateful. While my column and feature writing will be taking a pause, I will still be writing. Looking forward to connecting with you again in the future.
Stay strong. Stay factual. Most importantly, always branch out of your filter bubbles. You never know what you may learn from the other side of politics… provided you are open to it.
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Krystina Alarcon Carroll is a news media columnist and features writer for Barrett Media. She has experience in almost every facet of the industry including: digital and print news; live, streamed, and syndicated TV; documentary and film productions. Her prior employers have included NY1 and Fox News Digital and the Law & Crime Network. You can find Krystina on X (formerly twitter) @KrystinaAlaCarr.
