Mass Media misleads?

Note:
- media misguides as netizens spread rumours
- but netizens can spread truth too, esp when authoritative govt try to censor the truth
- govt can censor truth (hence misguide), but it can also censor untruth by controlling the spread of rumours (i.e. does not misguide)
-examples for the above: recent attacks at Kunming by alleged terrorist militants from Xinjiang; and the Malaysian airline crash
- social media may have advantage of speed over traditional media, but reliability of news may be compromised
-but note even traditional media can falter on reliability in the short run, resulting in 'shifting narrative' (see link HERE for the Kunming and Osama examples)....tight deadlines or unreliable sources (see the Vietnam Admiral example in article 2a below) are the usual culprits....
-the interesting idea that an 'information vacuum' created by the govt/organization's (in this case, MAS) silence/reticence will only fuel rumours online

Sample Qns:
Does the mass media misguide the public?

article 1

Article 2a

article 2b