• frank
    14.5k
    This is an article by factcheck.org about identifying fake new. It lists obvious actions like checking sources, but less obvious advice: pay attention to how a news nugget appeals to your biases. This is how fake and "bad" news purveyors operate: they provide titillating information that you want to hear. You become so excited to pass on the baloney that you don't bother confirming it.

    I personally don't tune-in to conservative news outlets and I've learned to take a grain of salt with CNN. I limit my exposure to a few high quality, unbiased sources. I find that I'm still being exposed to fake news via my ROKU menu screen as channels compete for my attention. And that's part of the problem: news outlets competing for attention. That makes non-profit outlets attractive, like PBS and NPR.

    So it starts with a consumer's vulnerability to edgy stories. That draws fake news spouters like vultures. Even supposedly legit news sources start to lean to grab their audience. Enter the parties who actually want to create friction and division in the world. They'll go so far as to stoke lawless protests in the hopes that someone will be killed.

    What can a little philosophy forum like this do to fight back? Confirming sources is an easy tactic. A little harder: avoid addressing people so as to vent your frustration at a whole group of people.

    What else?
  • Tzeentch
    3.3k
    Treat every piece of information that cannot be empirically confirmed with a great dose of skepsis. Especially when that information comes from politicians, activists or businessmen or organizations that are or could conceivably be affiliated with those either of those.

    Also, as a general rule of thumb when trying to understand the happenings in the world that cannot be empirically confirmed, ask yourself "Who stands to gain?"
  • Terrapin Station
    13.8k
    It irks me that people adopted "fake news" just because Trump used that term.

    The ideas of good versus bad, reliable versus unreliable sources, the ideas that any statement has biases, etc., are nothing new. Re the bias issue, if that denotes "fake news" then there isn't any "real news."

    Colloquially, people have adopted "fake news" to simply refer to "any news I don't like/disagree with idologically."
  • SophistiCat
    2.2k
    It irks me that people adopted "fake news" just because Trump used that term.Terrapin Station

    Trump hijacked the expression "fake news" without even understanding (or giving a shit about) its meaning - he just calls anything in the media that he doesn't like "fake news." But the term existed long before he got a hold of it, and was often used in connection with just the sort of right-wing conspiracy rags that Trump favors, as well as Russian troll farms that favor Trump. Of course, Trump being Trump, he insists that he coined "fake news." He probably thinks that "enemy of the people" is another of his brilliant rhetorical inventions (despite everyone telling him that it is a Stalinist phrase with a bloody history).
  • frank
    14.5k
    Also, as a general rule of thumb when trying to understand the happenings in the world that cannot be empirically confirmed, ask yourself "Who stands to gain?"Tzeentch

    It's tricky, though. There may be gain in telling the truth. Good salesmen are honest. They pick the truths that serve. But I agree we should pay attention to the agendas of news sources.

    Colloquially, people have adopted "fake news" to simply refer to "any news I don't like/disagree with idologically."Terrapin Station

    And this may be one reason that people ignore warnings about fake news, especially if it's critical of Trump.
bold
italic
underline
strike
code
quote
ulist
image
url
mention
reveal
youtube
tweet
Add a Comment

Welcome to The Philosophy Forum!

Get involved in philosophical discussions about knowledge, truth, language, consciousness, science, politics, religion, logic and mathematics, art, history, and lots more. No ads, no clutter, and very little agreement — just fascinating conversations.