How Big Is The Fake News Problem?

[Puggit]

Esseesse said:

I don't think the news on the BBC etc is what I'd categorise as fake, however sometimes they put a heavy spin on things (what I expect of anywhere to be honest). However the main thing I think they're probably guilty of is suppressing news that doesn't fit with their narrative. Lots of things that many would find important don't get a mention.

This is, of course, natural for any 'owned' new source (ie Sky or newspapers). However, the BBC is mandated to be impartial (guffaw).

[Penelope Stopit]

I only believe what I see but have not done so all my life, live and learn comes to mind

[pim]

News is like history there are so many different versions of truths and lies.

Take it all with a dose of salt and enjoy the show.

[XM5ER]

Having watched the video posted on the German website just now, all I can say is, it's a good job they weren't English football supporters.

[Jonesy23]

'Fake news' is apparently only a problem when it presents something you don't agree with and other people do agree with it.

Brexit, Trump and so on are the current examples.

Not exactly a new thing is it? 45 minutes anyone?

The moves in Germany are pretty chilling as they move to suppress things that aren't fake, just unpopular in certain circles. You'd have thought they'd have learnt the lesson by now that it's ultimately just counter-productive?

[FredClogs]

768 said:

"Fake" news just isn't a problem.

Government-backed real news would be and a lack of support for critical thinking in education certainly is.

The russians were apparently always fond to point out that "at least we know our news is propaganda"

[DaveCWK]

I don't know if it's the same for others, but whenever I read a news story /investigation report about a subject I actually know a lot about, all I think while reading is ”wrong, wrong, not true, not the full story, bad conclusion etc etc"

A couple of friends have mentioned thinking similar.

[Randy Winkman]

I don't think everyone enjoys it. I think we now have accept that lots of people with views that oppose ours are going to spend most of their lives seeing news that supports their own, often extreme view and gets them even more riled up and ready to make trouble.

[KarlMac]

Maybe we should worry less about fake news and focus more on the general public's stupidity/gullibility.

Most of this 'fake' news can be confirmed/refuted with 60 seconds of basic googling.

[rxe]

DaveCWK said:

I don't know if it's the same for others, but whenever I read a news story /investigation report about a subject I actually know a lot about, all I think while reading is ”wrong, wrong, not true, not the full story, bad conclusion etc etc"

A couple of friends have mentioned thinking similar.

I'd very much agree with that.

I remember a particular widely publicized event about 7 years ago. Can't go into details, but I was "in the room". In all the national press, and the specialist press. They all got it wrong, with varying degrees of error. The specialist press were probably closer to the truth, the national press were miles away.

[Randy Winkman]

KarlMac said:

Maybe we should worry less about fake news and focus more on the general public's stupidity/gullibility.

Do you have a proposal for sorting that out?

[don4l]

Randy Winkman said:

KarlMac said:

Maybe we should worry less about fake news and focus more on the general public's stupidity/gullibility.

Do you have a proposal for sorting that out?

Nothing can be done about it.

We are all, to some degree, suceptable to "confirmation bias". When we see something that we agree with, we don't check it too carefully.

[Randy Winkman]

That's fine. But we have to accept that it will affect election results, terrorism and other stuff.

[scherzkeks]

danllama said:

Something makes me very uncomfortable about Germany in particular, threatening to fine people for showing 'fake' news. Fascism alive and well? Pure coincidence that there's an election coming up, of course.

I live in Germany and noticed that fake news started appearing on the big name publications like Die Zeit, Süddeutsche, a few others on a regular basis at the start of the US election season (I am American).

The misleading claims often mirror those in once-proud papers like WaPo and NYT. Given the number of retractions and editors' notes these papers have posted recently (due to being exposed for publishing fake news), as well as the NYT writing an editorial on how it will "rededicate" itself to reporting truthfully and accurately, it is safe to say their German counterparts will be forced to do the same.

What we are witnessing right now as a populist-driven move away from globalism, and with it a complicit press that is outdated in medium and corrupt in mission.

[JagLover]

Jinx said:

And the truth is probably somewhat between. Neither source should be believed in its entirety but there is pressure for the official German position to downplay any difficulties in Germany at the moment as there is another sort of pressure for Breitbart to exaggerate the issues. Don't confuse the source with the message - remember it was the BNP who brought to light the horrific situation in Rotherham well before the MSM touched it.

This basically

A significant proportion of "fake news" is news the MSM will not report. Always bear that in mind whenever this issue is raised.

[rscott]

JagLover said:

Jinx said:

And the truth is probably somewhat between. Neither source should be believed in its entirety but there is pressure for the official German position to downplay any difficulties in Germany at the moment as there is another sort of pressure for Breitbart to exaggerate the issues. Don't confuse the source with the message - remember it was the BNP who brought to light the horrific situation in Rotherham well before the MSM touched it.

This basically

A significant proportion of "fake news" is news the MSM will not report. Always bear that in mind whenever this issue is raised.

But does the MSM not report it because it can't be verified in many of the cases?

[Rude-boy]

DaveCWK said:

I don't know if it's the same for others, but whenever I read a news story /investigation report about a subject I actually know a lot about, all I think while reading is ”wrong, wrong, not true, not the full story, bad conclusion etc etc"

A couple of friends have mentioned thinking similar.

Fully agree.

[scherzkeks]

rscott said:

JagLover said:

Jinx said:

And the truth is probably somewhat between. Neither source should be believed in its entirety but there is pressure for the official German position to downplay any difficulties in Germany at the moment as there is another sort of pressure for Breitbart to exaggerate the issues. Don't confuse the source with the message - remember it was the BNP who brought to light the horrific situation in Rotherham well before the MSM touched it.

This basically

A significant proportion of "fake news" is news the MSM will not report. Always bear that in mind whenever this issue is raised.

But does the MSM not report it because it can't be verified in many of the cases?

Of course that happens. But there have been numerous examples of unverified news being reported. This is a prime reason for the recent loss of trust among MSM outlets.

News organizations have always been politicized or used as a means to an end by unsavory groups. Ultimately, it is up to the consumer to excercise critical thinking. I find that following the money and asking "who benefits" are quite useful items for determining which narrative is (more) plausible. And, most of the time, that is all we have to go on as average joes.

[768]

FredClogs said:

768 said:

"Fake" news just isn't a problem.

Government-backed real news would be and a lack of support for critical thinking in education certainly is.

The russians were apparently always fond to point out that "at least we know our news is propaganda"

I'm sure. Less than convinced that makes it a model to emulate though.

[rxe]

Well, if this is even 10% true, we have an absolute crisis of competence on our hands. It would blow the 45 minute dodgy dossier clean out of the water:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-01-10/4chan-cla...

No idea as to the veracity, but it is so bonkers, you couldn't make it up.