Why are netizens so cray-cray, and why do people care?

[erisinia.livejournal.com]

You don't even have to be around in K-Pop for that long before you realize that Korean reporters are a piss poor example of journalism. Every single Korean entertainment article you read, whether translated or not, basically comes directly from the mouths of the companies involved. By now, you're aware of select entertainment companies manipulating the media or even paying up certain outlets to release articles in their favor, but what you don't probably realize is that it's not only those select companies, but everyone.



In my experience working for a Korean media outlet, I've come to realize that the entertainment media is completely controlled by the upper-ups, and reporters/journalists are only that in name because they really function as nothing more than the ctrl and c+z keys on your keyboard.

What essentially goes on is that Korean companies, big or small, basically draft what they want written about their artists down to every fine detail. They send these out as elaborate "press releases" directly to the inboxes of reporters, and what the reporters do is copy and paste the content and release it into our feeds. That's fine, that's how press releases work. Where the issue lies is that these reporters don't check the information they're being fed, nor do they question it. The company can basically make any statement, far-fetched or not, they want and it'll make it to the news simply because Korean journalism is crap.

How do I know this? I've had press releases come into my inbox, and in no more than 30 seconds - I kid you not - I see the article already out in my news feed from a competing outlet without a single edit from the original copy sent to us. There are variations of this laziness: some outlets will leave out paragraphs while others rearrange the paragraphs, but at no point in between do the reporters think to edit or cross check the information they're being handed.

There are two problems with this.

One, this has allowed companies to get away with controlling and manipulating the media to their favor. The companies that you're all probably familiar with have fine tuned this down to an art. What I mean by this is that it's not just the information that's being handed over. Companies will also include three to five titles they specifically want used as well as netizen comments they completely made up themselves to give the image/idea of positivity associated with their artist.

Two, they can get away with whatever BS they want in the actual content and it's going to make it to the press whether it's true and relevant or not. You think those sel-ca articles you see all the time are just fillers from bored reporters with nothing better to do? No. They were specifically sent out by the companies. Before the picture is even uploaded to the artist's Twitter, we'll receive a press release regarding said picture along with the titles and netizen comments they want used. They're essentially creating their own hype for the purpose of keeping their artist in the headlines and relevant.

That's manipulation, is it not?

Their control doesn't end there, though. For a few extra bucks, companies can buy out entire outlets, like what Kim Kwang Soo/Core Contents Media did with Newsen, and just pay them to constantly release positive press about their artists. Another fun example I like to use with anyone that asks is Park Jin Young/JYP Entertainment paying up Asia Economy to release back to back, nonstop onslaughts of editorials slamming Jay Park back when his scandal was at its height. Sidus HQ releases something good about Jay Park? Asia Economy follows up two seconds later with the release of yet another negative editorial to try and steal the spotlight.

Some companies go even further by buying out the entire portal itself. Netizens are already well aware of companies paying Nate to push articles regarding their artists into the top 10 whether netizens vote it up or not. Every once in a while, you see an article that jumps from rank #698 to #2 in the span of a second, and you know right then and there that the company paid its way up.

The company, in turn, can then go and brag that their artists are the top searched or the top ranking - all those key terms that K-Pop fans love to hear - and in turn write up another "press release" saying their artists are top ranking, therefore continuing the cycle... It doesn't take much to turn a nobody into a top ranking artist provided that your company has the money for it.

So where do netizens come in with all of this?

Because there is no filter in the system at any point in the process, netizens have no choice but to take the role of the bad guy and QUESTION everything. Companies are trying to brainwash everyone about the images they're creating for the artists through all of this manipulation, so do you expect netizens to just sit there, nod their heads, and take it?

Can you see why netizens can't be anything but cynical?

Read an article about a group ranking first on so and so? Question it. Read an article about a solo gaining attention for some stupid nonsensical reason? Question it. Netizens have taken it upon themselves to be the filter and go the extra step that reporters skip by cross checking everything they're being fed and making sure that it's not just hype because 9 times out of 10, it's hype, and a lot of it too.

Remember that whole KARA issue and their Dokdo scandal? Netizens caught on pretty fast when they checked that it was released by Newsen and that reporters at the scene had purposely manipulated the question so that one, KARA wasn't even given an opportunity to answer before they were cut off and rushed along, and two, to create negative press to deflect T-ara's scandal.

I'm not defending netizens. Yeah, there are a lot of extremists that try and push rumors that don't even make sense, but I do think it's important to see where netizens in general are coming from and why they're always so negative or cynical in their view of the articles that international fans generally take at face value.

International fans miss all of the inner investigations that netizens take with each piece because they have no reason not to believe it. Their bias group's comeback was the top ranking search term for the week? Wonderful! (But psst, where is that information coming from?)

Netizen comments play such a huge role in the entertainment industry for this sole reason. They're the ones that do all of the real work - the work that reporters should be doing. The average reader will believe the best reply over the article if contradicting information is presented. It's come to a point where if there are no best replies on a given article, someone is bound to comment, "I clicked on this article to check the best replies but there are none", and that will become the best reply because other people thought the same.

This is the context where terms like "media play" get thrown around because it's just so unfortunately prevalent in the industry that nearly all of the articles you're going to be reading are a form of media play.

Reporters don't just sit around drafting up original content or investigating stuff on their own because they don't have to. Their inboxes are always brimming with articles to copy and paste.

The only outlet that I've seen do any kind of original investigation is Sports Seoul, and they've received a lot of flak from entertainment companies for that. Sports Seoul isn't afraid to fly out reporters to exotic resorts overseas to catch celebrities in the act or get down and find the hardest witnesses to interview to create a case.

Dirty? Yeah... But I don't think the other media outlets are any better for playing it safe and keeping their slates clean.




Source: NetizenBuzz 

Not really news that reporters are skeevy--you need look no further than the terrible intrusive videos of Kyuhyun after Super Junior's car accident, no to mention what you hear in news articles about hounding of witnesses and the like. I didn't actually know that the kind of fluff pieces that fill allkpop are from sources that claim to be actual news sites--if it walks like a blogger and flails like a blogger and bitches like a blogger....

(First post, apologies if I missed something!)

Comments

[mearii87.livejournal.com]

wow, this is actually really fascinating

[gacchiri.livejournal.com]

This is really enlightening. There's so much going on behind the scenes. I was wondering where that Netizenbuzz site suddenly came from, but I'm glad they're here now.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

It was very interesting, I like how Netizens aren't fooled by companies.

Now every time an old scandal erupts I'm gonna be very suspicious about it. DSP really needs to take care of KKS though, I wouldn't let him and his cronies throw dirt on my Golden goose.

[raiha-kasep.livejournal.com]

WOAHHHHHHHHHHH
i mean,,I know a few of this,,but I just knew bout Kara n jay,,,

[raiha-kasep.livejournal.com]

[6rystalis.livejournal.com]

tbh, nothing really...compared to others Korean media isn't even that bad ^^:

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

Govt and companies controlling the media is never good.

[fivil.livejournal.com]

Awesomely enlightening, and scary to boot.

I mean, makes you wonder if this happens with entertainment companies, can other companies control the media in this way as well? Political groups/parties?

I recently watched a TEDtalk about Chinese netizens and their active resistance to the Chinese censorship of the internet. Inspiring stuff.

Also got to love Netizenbuzz for continuing their work. I feel like the more I know about K-netizens, the better I understand them.

[carmine-pink.livejournal.com]

Before the picture is even uploaded to the artist's Twitter, we'll receive a press release regarding said picture along with the titles and netizen comments they want used.

Wait, so K-Pop artists' Twitter accounts are essentially just as controlled by their companies as, say, Johnnys artists' nikki in Japan? So Siwon is ordered to tweet "Good morning/good night beautiful world" every day?

[erisinia.livejournal.com]

I don't think they're totally controlled...more like the occasional, "Your image is too harsh lately, take a cute/no-makeup/innocent selca to post"

[asth77.livejournal.com]

the international fandom took so much time to get it
that's why I was always bashed when I told ppl JYPE was manipulating the press during the shitpm incident(s)
and that you better either belive rumours OR blogs' journalists (independant ones, plz.)

whatever, you guys are late as fuck. Glaaad ppl finally get it, been telling that for years.

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

It's all a conspiracy though. People still won't get it, they still think that Company press releases are the word of God.

[hurtmybones.livejournal.com]

the KARA part is so painfully obvious, like each ~controversy article is more reaching than the last. I'd rather read the talk posts on Nate + the comments, and I'm glad there's a site that's translating those

[deeinanutshell.livejournal.com]

not surprised

[devilstay.livejournal.com]

this isn't very surprising, nor do I think that /all/ idol twitters are completely controlled. tbh I think most idols know what is good, and bad for their image, and what works for the crowd, being used to having to keep a public image.

I imagine some companies are really strict on this, and some far more relaxed.

Wanted to add, that in terms about the news, and the copy+paste, well I believe all of that one, because it makes sense, and explains a lot.

[tokidoki88.livejournal.com]

It's just sad that this practice is considered normal, no one is trying to hide the influence of entertainment companies, "journalists" are not ashamed about lack of professionalism and get away with publication of this kind of articles.

We were able to see how nicely it works in the first episode of "Idol Manager" with mblaq. Managers being responsible for writing articles about the event and sending it to the press. And later most of those pieces are published in the same form, with the same content.

Shocking that reporters in Korea have no idea what's the purpose of their job.

[frantastic.livejournal.com]

It's just sad that this practice is considered normal, no one is trying to hide the influence of entertainment companies, "journalists" are not ashamed about lack of professionalism and get away with publication of this kind of articles.
mte! so much for a journalist :/

[fiercediva.livejournal.com]

How can anyone read those formulaic articles in allkpop, enewsworld, soompi etc. about no-makeup selcas, body proportions and the like and not know that they are unedited press releases? We all could probably write one in our sleep:

(Name) shows their (body part, facial expression, endorsed fashion accessory) in a (cute/pure/manly/cool) photo. In the photo, (name) is (superfluous description of action in photo). Netizens commented "(1)", "(2)", "(3)".

[devilstay.livejournal.com]

mte. fucking this.

[the-erotomanic.livejournal.com]

there is also a bad side to netizens trying to get to the bottom of things. tablo had to go through a lot just to clear his name just because some netizens didn't think his diploma was real.

Sports Seoul isn't afraid to fly out reporters to exotic resorts overseas to catch celebrities in the act or get down and find the hardest witnesses to interview to create a case.

um, catch celebrities in the act of doing what exactly? trying to keep their romantic life hidden, because their fans don't like to see their idols having lives? giving entertainers a bit of privacy is good, too.

everything in the entertainment industry is calculated and manipulated to bring in as much (positive) attention to an artist. pr companies always come up with news reports/fluff pieces just to make sure people talk about celebrities. korea just hasn't mastered the art of positive pr/crisis management. however, they seem to have mastered the art of black propaganda/smear campaigns.

Because there is no filter in the system at any point in the process, netizens have no choice but to take the role of the bad guy and QUESTION everything.

well, it's always a good idea to question everything that comes out in the media. you don't have to just read one source to get the facts.

[devilstay.livejournal.com]

this.

[jav-sol.livejournal.com]

I think "Editorial" should be added to the title of this. While some things stated seem plausible, the article itself has no sources.

[pepper.livejournal.com]

Not to mention companies obviously also hide a lot of incriminating shit their artists do in order to maintain their 'angelic' public image. We most likely only get to see the tip of the iceberg of all the shit they do.

Makes me wonder if the so-called flawless idols are really as angelic as the media makes them out to be (IU, Yunho, Donghae, Onew, etc.).

[izabera.livejournal.com]

Interesting article, I don't speak Korean so I can't check this myself but I heard the media reports lies and half-truths about Hallyu. For instance they don't mention empty seats at concerts and skip over negative or mixed reviews from the foreign press. My cousin met random people in Seoul who were convinced Kpop was HUGE in Europe and there

[asnindie.livejournal.com]

They use too much terminology similar to "taken over" giving the false impression that Kpop for instance is really popular in France when it's really just a niche. There are instance where it's just strange, a food blogger a while back claimed that Korean food had taken over the UK, which was plain wrong.

[askbask.livejournal.com]

It's not really surprising. When you read "Rookie ___ garners hot response for ___", "Nugu____ creates interest with _____" you know it's PR bullshit. There's never a 'hot interest' in someone performing at a street corner or looking like another star. It's very transparent. I don't blame Allkpop for translating this, but they should add their own commentary and basically reflect a little - does this info actively contradict info released earlier? Then why post it as a straight story?

This is mostly common sense, only problem with the article is this line: -"..Korean reporters are a piss poor example of journalism" because I mean, you don't see this stuff in the Hankyoreh, Korea Herald or the Chosun Ilbo (though they've done other idiotic things in the name of journalism).

[defiasco.livejournal.com]

i definitely agree with the 2nd paraggraph. kpop idol news manipulation is not a reflection of korean journalism.

[defiasco.livejournal.com]

companies pay for good press? i am in total shock and awe.

[julietislimited.livejournal.com]

I love the icon that goes with this comment, its flawless.

[somacomatose.livejournal.com]

You think those sel-ca articles you see all the time are just fillers from bored reporters with nothing better to do? No. They were specifically sent out by the companies. Before the picture is even uploaded to the artist's Twitter, we'll receive a press release regarding said picture along with the titles and netizen comments they want used. They're essentially creating their own hype for the purpose of keeping their artist in the headlines and relevant.

this is sad.

[julietislimited.livejournal.com]

[devilsatin.livejournal.com]

lol

[benihime99.livejournal.com]

All of that is pretty well known though
It would be interesting if the author was giving source and references

[turdferguson.livejournal.com]

the media being controlled by private companies can be really appalling. the same shit happens in american media, when something unfavorable happens to celebrities you're reading about "a source close to the artist" or "an insider" giving their insight, both negative and positive depending on who sent it out. question everything.

this reminds me of the time i had written a press release for an event and a reporter came to me and asked questions that were covered in the press release. i was annoyed at the time but i guess now that's journalism? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯