All the news that’s not
The term “fake news,” already embedded in the national psyche of this country, achieved global recognition when the UK-based Collins Dictionary declared it the Word of the Year for 2017, citing its “ubiquitous presence.”
Collins defines the term as “false, often sensational, information disseminated under the guise of news reporting.” President Donald Trump uses it as a rhetorical device to discount an unfavorable story or distrusted news outlet or diminish the media at large.
Others are following his lead: Trump surrogates, members of Congress, autocrats and dictators elsewhere now alleging fake news treatment, and political analysts who argue that unverified information that is “out there” gives them license to repeat it as fact.
But readers and viewers also should find the spread of fake news troubling. Which brings us to another intriguing Word of the Year. Dictionary.com selected “complicit,” noting the word’s new relevance in politics and social commentary.
Interest in the word spiked during 2017, including after Republican U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona announced his retirement, saying, “I will not be complicit or silent” about the current political climate and the tone of Trump’s presidency. It emerged in conversations about alleged sexual misconduct by Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and whether others knew of the behavior but failed to stop it.
The connection between “complicit” and “fake news” is easily made. Americans have become complicit in accepting and sharing fake news. We all need to be smarter in recognizing deception.
Some advice: Don’t trust everything a friend shares with you online. Be your own fact-checker. Share only stories you know to be true. Call out “friends” who send you unverified rubbish. Be willing to pay for journalism you trust.
Our nation needs discerning readers and viewers—those who welcome honest journalism that holds leaders accountable and provides vital information for citizens to cast informed votes and contribute to decision-making.
Nothing less than our democracy depends on it.