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Is all news "fake news"..?

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
page1-450px-How_to_Spot_Fake_News.pdf.jpg
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
"Fake" news isn't new and neither are they relevant. We used to call them canards and they have always been with us.
The real problem is more subtle. You can manipulate without outright lying.
First is the selection. A news editor has hundreds of stories from agencies and reporters to select from. Even if all the stories he prints are 100% factual and unbiased, he can manipulate opinion by selecting what to print.
Second is the selection of information within a story. You can deliver only true facts about a case that all point into one direction and utterly turn the narrative by omitting the facts that point into the other direction.
There are more tactics (or sometimes just unconscious biases) that can manipulate:
- "just asking questions"
- citations
- not discerning commentary from news
- using "clickbait" headlines
and, of course, polls and statistics.

Direct lies are short lived and will be called out in most cases but the more subtle manipulations are not wrong but just as manipulative as direct lies.
 

Guitar's Cry

Disciple of Pan
Okay, good point. The "mutilation" and "children" claims from the title, have no connection with the content of the article. That's the first of so many problems --so many, that the article can't really be coherently understood.

...This is a good candidate for fake news. The motivation would likely be profits.


Here's a left wing example: New report says Trump admitted he was pressured to kill Soleimani by Senators over impeachment

There are facts that can be verified in the article, but it is so wrapped up in biased language they may as well not be there.
 

stvdv

Veteran Member: I Share (not Debate) my POV
So please, explain to me what is fake news and what is not fake news. I need examples. Thanks.
I can give you a great hint
My Master told me "Innernet .... not internet"
I had same problem as you as to fake news, but this solved it
 

shunyadragon

shunyadragon
Premium Member
Real News= before fairness doctrine.

Fake news= after repel of fairness doctrine.

A little (sarcasm) too simplistic, because 'fake news' has been around since the beginning of civilization when humans could write.

Learn to check 'facts' and use multiple sources, and be skeptical especially on April 1st.
 
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Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Is that fake news or an unwitting praise of Tina Fey's performance?
"Fake" originally meant intentional fraud, ie, intentional
presenting of false news so as to mislead consumers.
But the definition has expanded.
I won't go all the way with the expansion, but I will included
irresponsible agenda driven falsehoods. They fit the spirit
of the word "fake".
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
For comedy it does, but you are correct that news sources are without excuse.
You remind me of something.....I've seen surveys about how
many young'ns these days say they get their news from comedy
shows, eg, John Stewart. Have they the detachment to discern
what is real & what is agenda driven satire?
It's not just young's....my father was in his 80s when he insisted
that he saw Palin say she could see Russia from her house on
the news. Memories can be tricky things, eh.
 

Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
You remind me of something.....I've seen surveys about how
many young'ns these days say they get their news from comedy
shows, eg, John Stewart. Have they the detachment to discern
what is real & what is agenda driven satire?
It's not just young's....my father was in his 80s when he insisted
that he saw Palin say she could see Russia from her house on
the news. Memories can be tricky things, eh.
Yes, they can be. Memories become "facts". Which is why it is always a good idea for those in the news biz to double check quotes. In fact from somewhere I have a memory that questionable claims need at least two sources.

Don't quote me on that.
 

Heyo

Veteran Member
You remind me of something.....I've seen surveys about how
many young'ns these days say they get their news from comedy
shows, eg, John Stewart. Have they the detachment to discern
what is real & what is agenda driven satire?
It's not just young's....my father was in his 80s when he insisted
that he saw Palin say she could see Russia from her house on
the news. Memories can be tricky things, eh.
Getting the news from a comedy show makes it bearable. Listening to Palin in the original makes me cringe so hard that it hurts.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
Getting the news from a comedy show makes it bearable. Listening to Palin in the original makes me cringe so hard that it hurts.
This is why I avoid listening to politicians say things.
Alas, sometimes I hear/read attributed quotes in the news,
& they just sound fishy. So I gird my loins, & search for the
original on youtube. Sure enuf, I discover that news media
will change the wording to suit (ie, fabricate quotes). I catch
NPR doing this regularly.
 

Revoltingest

Pragmatic Libertarian
Premium Member
If one listens to comedy shows for the news it will be mostly right. At least if it is good comedy. If one's comedy is often wrong then it is a good idea to try to find a higher level of comedy.
All news based comedy is agenda driven. Finding
better comedy won't mean more accurate news.
I remember Mort Sahl being one of the best.
But he wasn't news.
 

chris baron

Member
everything on tv is fake and a deliberate effort to dominate your consciousness to fill your head with poison.
now they are putting up 1000s of starlink satellites to broaden their control over humanity's collective psyche
who are "they"? they are a demonic species of humanity who serve the devil
 
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Subduction Zone

Veteran Member
All news based comedy is agenda driven. Finding
better comedy won't mean more accurate news.
I remember Mort Sahl being one of the best.
But he wasn't news.
I avoid it, but I have run across low comedy that is more interested in what someone sounds like rather than what they say.
 
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