The internet promised unlimited reach, direct engagement, and a more informed world. But has it instead devalued expertise - creating a clicks and outrage economy where speed reigns over accuracy, and trust in journalism has never been lower?
Welcome to Ruined By The Internet? - the show where we examine how technology is shaping modern life - whether we want it to or not.
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We're joined by John DeDakis - award-winning novelist, writing coach, public speaker, and former CNN Senior Copy Editor - who spent his career at the sharp end of broadcast journalism and understands better than most what the internet did to the craft, the industry, and the public's ability to tell truth from noise.
In this episode we investigate how the internet transformed journalism from a trusted institution into a clicks-driven economy, examine the rise of citizen journalism and what it costs when everyone is a reporter, explore AI's role in accelerating both the misinformation crisis and potential solutions, and ask whether media literacy is enough to save an informed society - or whether the damage is already done.
(00:00) John's journey through journalism and what it taught him
(02:16) How the internet fundamentally changed what journalism is
(03:52) Scepticism, trust, and why digital news is so hard to believe
(06:25) The challenges facing editors in a speed-over-accuracy culture
(08:48) The shift toward clickbait and what happened to investigative journalism
(11:35) The rise of citizen journalism: democratisation or dangerous free-for-all?
(13:55) The role of AI in journalism: tool, threat, or both?
(16:37) The future of content creation in a world of infinite noise
(19:14) The ethics of AI in journalism: where are the lines?
(21:19) Substack and the future of individual journalism: salvation or fragmentation?
(24:08) How journalism has evolved in the digital age - for better and worse
(30:15) Media literacy and education: is it enough to save us?
(37:08) The role of public broadcasting in a fractured media landscape
(42:50) Is there genuine hope for the future of journalism?
(45:18) Curiosity as the most important skill a writer - or reader - can have
Key takeaways:
• Scepticism and Fact-Checking in the Digital Age: The fundamental shift brought by the internet is global connectivity, but digital information can easily be a pipeline for state-level misinformation, deepfakes, and conspiracy theories.
• Erosion of Trust and Rise of "New Media": Public trust in traditional institutions is breaking down as lines blur between rigorous journalism and unverified "citizen journalism" by content creators who focus on maximum reach rather than editorial accuracy.
• Financial Strain on Investigative Journalism: Because the public initially expected news to be free online, many newspapers were slow to establish paywalls, damaging their business models.
• Threat of Generative AI to Human Writing: While AI can serve as a basic research tool, it currently lacks genuine human creativity and often relies on copyright infringement by scraping authors' published works without permission or compensation.
If this episode got you thinking, check out:
Trust In Information: The End of Believing Our Own Eyes?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/MGMwN2YyNzItZmU3Yy00Njk0LTkxNWYtYmU5NDdkN2VkY2Y3
Common Ground: From Dialogue to Digital Battlefield?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/ODkzNWY5Y2UtYTFmMy00NGQxLTk1YWMtMjk2ZDNkYjg0NDU4
Broadcast Television: The Digital Dismantling of an Entire Industry?
https://pod.link/1825601333/episode/OTc0YmNmYzItMTI4ZC00OTcwLTk0YWYtYjdjNjY2MTYxYmFj
Guest links - John DeDakis
Website: https://johndedakis.com/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B002BM6WM0
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dedakisjohn/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/john.dedakis
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/johndedakis.bsky.social
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