A Little Logic

I've been contemplating the whole "fake news" thing. I want you to consider the logic of it. Put aside that since its adoption the places it most likely appears to be used besides the White House is by dictators around the world, I want you to stop and consider this idea that all news organizations except the one you listen to are out to get Donald John Trump.

Are most news organizations of a liberal bent. Some are. Some aren't. Are the news organizations often sensational. Yes. Look, there is a reason why in the news world there is the saying "if it bleeds, it leads." As long as news organizations must make money, they will lead with the sensational and salacious and grim. The question isn't really any of these things. The question is "are what news organizations reporting fake?"  "Fake news" is, after all, Orwellian double-speak for "lies."

Unlike Facebook, Twitter and a host of pundits on the web and TV, real news outlets, from the AP to Reuters to CBS to ABC to NBC and to CNN, have to meet standards. They all have standards and practice departments. Most are under control of the FCC. There are a slew of lawyers who vet stories. There are producers who look at the stories validity and interest. Even "unnamed sources" are verified by other sources. What you must do is distinguish between editorial content and news. On Facebook, YouTube and Twitter there are no such standards. It's why all those wonderful pages you use for your memes can post things that are patently untrue. Quotes that were never actually said. Events that never occurred.

When a true news organization gets it wrong, they update the story. This is a sign of not "fake news" but concern to get it right. Take the recent "fake news" awards put out by the White House. The first place award was not news it was an editorial. All the other awards were given to stories that were corrected as soon as the error was discovered, some within in hours of the mistake. Some reporters were suspended or even lost their jobs because of the mistakes. One of the "fake news" stories was a tweet. This is hardly a news story. The reporter who issued the tweet, apologized within an hour for his mistake. This is also not the only award given to a tweet. People make mistakes and some do stupid things. News organizations make mistakes. Good ones try to correct those mistakes.

For the whole fake news conspiracy to work you have to believe that not only every network, newspaper, magazine, and wire service in the US is out to get one guy. Not only that, you have to also believe that all of these same stories which are reported around the world that every independent news organization are also involved in this conspiracy. Spend just a few seconds looking at the news reported in Great Britain, France, Germany, Mexico, Canada, etc.

Whether you like it or not, you must break out of your bubble. You may not like what they report, that doesn't make it fake. It is why we have the pesky First Amendment.  To be well informed you have read beyond the  headline.

Our election was attacked. Our democracy was attacked. That attack was not just in this country. Russia has attacked virtually the election of every democracy in the world. There is simply no logic to thinking that everything you see that is negative about this president is fake news.

I am still unable to put my head around how many of the people who post the lies and quite honestly hate from their Facebook feeds were just a few months ago angry that Obama wore a tan suit. I take very little at face value. It is why I don't post "news" memes or political memes. I choose not to spread stupidity and lies.

What do you choose?