Fake News: What It Is and Where to Find It
By this time, we have all gotten so much “Fake News” we can no longer tell it from the real thing. I am going to try to help you out a little bit. What, exactly, is “Fake” News?
Well, first of all, let’s decide what “news” is. Once upon a time, “news” was simply an account, or “story,” of some event based on all the relevant facts diligently collected by some reporter.
It took the form of, “Here is everything we could find out and verify about this event, make of it what you will.”
When people who published the “news” had an opinion about what it “meant” and either wished to share that with the audience or, more important, wanted their audience to adopt their opinion, they would “editorialize” about it.
They were fairly diligent in separating their “opinions” from the “news.”
“Fake” News actually began years ago when purveyors of “news” stopped doing this. It probably started right after World War II, but really ginned up in the Sixties during the Vietnam War.
It started when these “news” purveyors abandoned their role as faithful “observers” and “chroniclers” of human events and, instead, became “players,” seeking to shape human events by manipulating “public opinion.”
At first, American “Media” manipulated public opinion mainly to sell stuff, but by the Sixties they were full-on political, “opposing the War in Vietnam.”
The New York Times was in the vanguard back then. From Vietnam on, the “news” no longer began with an “event,” but with a “viewpoint.”
What appeared in the newspapers and magazines, and on television depended on the political or social “viewpoint” of the publishers and owners of the TV networks.
If some event supported or promoted that “viewpoint” in the Court of Public Opinion, it made the “News,” and vice versa. We’ve gone a lot further down the toilet since then.
Now, the “Media” make no pretense that their objective is anything other than manipulating public opinion.
With few exceptions, every time you open the newspaper, turn on the TV, surf the Internet or check your Facebook news feed, somebody is telling you what to think and probably lying to you to boot.
“Fake News” is a “story” consisting of innuendo and implication but unsupported by facts, OR a “story” supported by “selected” facts (“misinformation”).
OR it’s a “story” based on FALSE statements of fact, OR a “story” that is not even a “story” at all but an account of trivial facts claimed “to mean something” when they actually mean nothing at all.
Many such “stories” are often strung together to form a “narrative,” which is nothing more than a bill of goods the purveyors are trying to sell.
We’re now getting all of this 24 hours a day. And it is mainly coming from the Left. Why? Because all those draft dodgers from the Sixties now control the Media.
When I was a kid and would repeat gossip or hurtful statements to my mother, her first response was always, “consider the source.”
Well, considering the source, we now know that just about anything that comes out of CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Politico, Moveon.org, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times and The Washington Post is “Fake News” of one type or the other.
By now, we are all too familiar with these Leftist “narratives,” which they shamelessly sell day in and day out to the exclusion of “real” news.
Regardless of the source, you should also have a healthy skepticism about any “story” promoting any viewpoints attributed to “European Leaders,” “Climate Change Scientists,” “University Professors” or any “Survey, Poll or Study.”
Remember, Mark Twain, quoting British Prime Minister Disraeli, told us, “There are three kinds of lies: lies; damned lies; and statistics.”
I have chosen not to listen to any news. I have found it not only to be to corrupt on both sides but also to depressing. That is not to say that I follow an ignorant is bliss policy. I do notice certain items of bias the one that stands out the most, that would be media pictures of our past Pres. Obama his media pics are always of him smiling and looked staged. Trump pics in the media always make him look mad at the world.
When Al Gore came up with Climate Change, he made millions of $, but when the “scientists” he quoted were cornered, they admitted that Gore paid them millions of $ to give that false report. There is NO SUCH THING AS “CLIMATE CHANGE!”
Jean Turley is wrong. Open your eyes and see what is happening to the Arctic wildlife. They are suffering from the loss of ice, and consequensially, food and habitat. I have combed your e-mail and cannot find a way to UNSUBSCRIBE. Why not?
While I agree that news biased, I noticed that you didn’t include the right wing stations- fox-breitbart,by the way the overwhelming amount of media outlets are owned by right wing conservatives, your own viewpoint obviously biases your thinking
I trust Fox news for straight truthful details. So far they have given me no reason to believe otherwise.
Those that use fake news for advertisement will not sell me anything . The advertising corporations should be ashamed to even consider them for advertising, they do not deserve you for advertising. Think about it, fake news, fake advertising.
Frank, you should also suggest to those interested to buy Mark Dice’s book: The True Story of Fake News, available on Amazon.
Mark is a political analyst and best selling author. HIs work is solid and he has an immense following.
But why do I think you have already heard of him??
I got the book a few weeks ago and am halfway through. It’s very well done and impeccably documented.
Timothy
fake news should be made criminal. they should have there NUTS cut off if they have any
They say fake news, I hear inconvenient truth!
I agree that most news is biased and slanted; however to just call out the left without regard to talk radio, Fox news, & Breitbart among others is promoting a false sense that they are the only ones reporting the “truth”. There is a dangerous trend toward only reporting what fits a specific agenda or dismissing negative news as irrelevant. If we don’t open our eyes & ears to ascertain the facts, then we risk becoming pawns in their greater agenda.
I, personally, tend to watch PBS & then check out other news sources to see their spins.
The reason for the rise of “fake news” and the similar issue of accurate but highly-biased news is partially economic as I wrote in CTViewpoints
https://ctviewpoints.org/2017/08/28/opinion-nicholas-malino/
If you are genuinely interested in reputable news sources, look for publications which have won Pulitzer prizes. Note, Fox has never won. However, sources cited as “fake news” in this article have.
Kudos to TimM’s comment.
Responsibility and consequences
I know that it borders on violation of the First Amendment, but require ALL media outlets (even PBS) to report the “Truth, the Whole Truth, and Nothing But the Truth”. If they don’t, yank their license and shame them on every public outlet.
Yea, I know…Who will police the police?
If the sheeple have become so programmed that they cannot interpret and analyze, then I guess maybe they deserve what they get.
Darwin awards and natural selection are no longer PC.
I’m about as moderate conservative as it gets, but even I can see that the right is as bad as the left about telling us how to think.
This goes even further back than the 1960s. Look at newspapers from the early 1900s and even further back. If the newsrag had an agenda, it damned sure tried to manipulate the truth.
Even current “non-biased” blogs seem to “time out” comments if they don’t jive with the flow.
The term”Fake News” was created by people who want to be politically correct and are reluctant to be call it what it actually is. “Fake news” should rightly be called LIES, SLANDER and LIBEL and those who LIE should be sued in order to give the so called media some credibility again.
AMEN!!!!!! When will He open the first sea? Hope it’s soon.
It did not. A person is supposed to make an opinion based on what is right and what is wrong. One is supposed to discern truth from whatever lies they hear. Seems we are being strayed from the truth because some cannot tell the difference.
There is no gray area.
How to fix the problem . Believe and have faith.
You missed Huffpo…we are living in the Max Headroom news era….where the news only reports and influences the outcome for their ratings. It is sad when James O’Keefe of Verit is about the only true journalist organization left And the fake news and left liberal progressive communisis would like to silence him. If you have some change lying around, send it to this kid….he is doing the job that none of the others have the gonads or unbiasness to do.
Fake news certainly worked well for Germany when Hitler was in power didn’t it. The truth shall set you free. Fake news will destroy you.
I remember my father telling us kids in the 70’S that we’d better mark his words that we would not be able to believe anything from our government to our news sources and he (my father) was dead on. He also told us to be diligent in what we say as children of The Most High God. It could turn around and bite us in the butt. Not from mankind but from God. So the only purposefully remark i can give to this topic is anyone and everyone that is a child of God; PRAY
tim= truth will always come out … nothing vial about it , unless you’re a twisted lefty.
Nothing Vile hu? You must not watch Alex Jones. And if you do watch when is the opposing view given time or if what he says is proven wrong I’m sure he retracts his rants. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4zxYpLY9QM
You folks nailed it. So where does one find real news?
It’s funny that when anyone who even sounds like they have a brainstem they are played over and over in the media as one of the great pundits of our day.
What about the rightists? I would love to hear some “truth” from that side.
Fairness and objectivity would have included Fox News in the listing of purveyors of “fake news “.
Although I will give your products a try, I am removing myself from your mailing list.
The “truth often lies somewhere between Right Wing and Leftists opinion. It still remains a matter of interpretation and opinion.
I think most people understand this,the problem is,how do we stop it and get back to the truth, if there is any such thing left.
Really Tim? “Stirring the country away from the Truth”…who’s Truth would that be? Because if you are saying that the “Fairness Doctrine” had anything to do with “Truth” you are obviously being misled by the one-sided Left-wing media! The Fairness Doctrine was created to “Shut Up” the opinions of the right, because the left has had control of the media for Ever, and wanted a way to suppress anything that did not follow their agenda!
Shut up the “opinions”? There is a clear distinction between justifying an opinion and clearly misleading the public because it suits a personal agenda. Why wouldn’t all of the citizens who have lost faith in the message not want to stop the B.S. on both sides? My only conclusion is most of the people complaining don’t want to know the truth. They want to live in the fantasy of their opinion.
I will be getting this but need to take money to the bank.
Unfortunately “fake news” is also rampant at Fox, Breitbart and other news organizations. It’s not just a left- wing issue.
While I generally agree wth the story, fake news did not really begin in the electronic, or TV news quite so early but was a main stay of print journalists. Even during the Vietnam era responsibele TV journalists such as “Cronkite” et. al. were purveying real news. It seems this Liberal, Leftest slant has really accelerated during the Obama years on. I learned “true journalisim” at the feet of my grandmother who would be rolling in her grave at the drivel that passes for journalisim today. It seems today’s journalists (term used loosely) have completely abandoned journalistic integrity.
You ask that we remain respectful, but it is very difficult to remain respectful of the mainstream media in any form.
As to what can be done? CNN may be an example. Their ratings have plummeted which certainly has cost them in both the number of advertisers and what they can charge, BUT CNN apparently has enough support to continue on as a voice for the left!
It has reached the point where I no longer trust “the news”, be it left or right. The news as presented is “editorialized”, meaning it is opinion presented as fact. News outlets tout their objectivity and then release stories without verification, or providing sources that can be fact checked. “Usually” a story proven false receives little mention of that fact and the damage is already done. By minimizing the corrections they do little to undo the damage, which “I believe” is intentional.
News outlets need to be held accountable while sources providing false information need to be identified and also be held accountable. These moves are essential to the elimination of false news, but the left has a lot of money, and illogical emotion backing it, which makes me believe the needed accountability will never happen beyond lip service and unbacked claims.
I don’t understand what Tim M is trying so say. “bios”?
From my perspective you are right on with your commentary, Frank. I choose commentators rather than sites and find Drudge Report to be an excellent source from which to select. I am totally repulsed by mass media and our government in general. I’m afraid our wonderful Constitutional Republic is on the slippery slide to oblivion after the 8 years of willful destruction by the community organizer. God Bless Pres Trump and what he is attempting to do. I fear it is too little, too late but pray for him daily. That said, I appreciate your products and your commentary. Thanks.
Please excuse my typo prairie dog. My point is very obvious. This country is being pushed into two camps. false information or misleading information is given to pander to what people want to hear instead of what they need to hear. The law that was intended to keep slanted “opinion” away from dominating the conversation was the fairness doctrine It wasn’t perfect but at least there was consequences tied to purposely misleading the public. . The complaint I am reading here is people don’t believe the media. So put rules to broadcasting with teeth (penalties) for misinformation. If you don’t want solutions go ahead and stick your head back in the sand and live in your fox news or cnbc fantasy.
FAKE NEWS STARTED WHEN ENQUIRE, GLOBE, AND THE OTHER TRASH PAPERS WERE SELLING TO THE PUBLIC LIKE HOT CAKES. AMERICA LIKES TO HEAR TRASH. LOOK AT THE MOVIES TODAY TRASH AND MORE. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE VERY SMART TO SEE WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
Love it! Most of older folks who haven’t already lost our minds, watched this transition from news to opinions over the years. We started dropping the print news and went for TV news. But, that was a false hope. Now most of the internet has followed suit. Not much reliable news sources left.
So you believe the only “true” news is coming from Fox and Rush Limbaugh (and, of course, Donald Trump, the biggest liar in political history.) Anything he disagrees with he labels “fake news'” and he has no facts to back him up. He’s an embarrassment and a disgrace to the office of the President of the United States.
This article is spot dead on! Too bad there are still so many brain washed Americans that still believe the main stream media. Wake up Americans!!
Fake news is an injustice to the American people. Why can’t news be like Reuters news, Just the news plain and simple. No opinions about anything, just news. Real simple no lies
so sick of being spoon fed i refuse to watch news with my wife, where by eats a ton of garbage everyday it hurts but its so true and of course she is a democrat, MORE FOOD PLEASE
And how did the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine add to the bios in media? This one repeal gave birth to the vial atmosphere of talk radio then expanded to Fox and CNBC with one sided “opinion” You want to fix the problem instill a sense of responsibility and add consequences with “opinion” stirring the country away from the truth.
Wrong! We only had one side–the Liberal viewpoint–UNTIL the so-called “Fairness Doctrine” was repealed. You seem to resent any viewpoint being publicized other than the one YOU agree with, and now that opposing views are being aired, you want to shut them down.
Look, its not that complicated. Nothing wrong with opposing views. That is what the fairness doctrine was for. Not one sided but required under law to give the same amount of time to the other side. Conservative or Liberal. What we have now is one sided opinion or blatantly misinforming the public to suit agendas that are for a select few. If you like propaganda then this is to much for you to understand and I will just leave it at that.
Here’s a link to the Wikipedia page on the Fairness Doctrine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairness_Doctrine
If you are saying that the rise of conservative talk radio that started with Rush Limbaugh and allegedly conservative Fox News resulted from the repeal of the Fairness Doctrine, you are either thoroughly confused or a Democrat. Probably both–but that’s redundant.
Thank you for making my point even more clear. Fairness doctrine eliminated in the mid 80’s. Coincidently Limbaugh gets his feet under him simultaneously. Your to easy to argue with. Just remember I think the public should be given facts and by requiring it through the FCC rich conglomerates run the risk of loosing their license if they promote misinformation. All radio/tv broadcasting. I’m not suggesting this should only be applied to Fox and the conservative wing of radio alone but all broadcasting. Maybe you just like hearing what you can agree with more then the truth.
Fox News is the one place you can get both sides of an issue. Very much unlike all the others.