Local media remain true to real news
In this age of astounding technological advances, people across the globe have access to more information than at any time in history. The question we all face, however, is whether it’s good information, or more examples of the “fake news” phenomena that dominates our culture today.
We saw it play out during last year’s election campaign, when outrageous claims took off on social media, sometimes to dangerous consequences. Many will remember the infamous “Pizzagate” story that claimed leaked emails showed members of the Democratic Party were behind a child pornography ring operating out of a Washington, D.C., pizza parlor.
The story had absolutely no basis in fact, yet it was picked up by several websites and spread through social media so extensively that the shop owner and his employees were besieged with threats. A man from North Carolina drove to the shop, supposedly to investigate the claims he had read, and fired a semiautomatic weapon into the building, leading to his arrest.
Fortunately, no one was physically injured as the result of that incident, but it showed the extent to which websites and social media outlets will spread a story with no investigation of the claims or any acknowledgement of a responsibility to the truth.
Newspapers and responsible news media outlets have been fighting this battle against fake news for decades. There have always been conspiracy theorists spouting allegations that have little basis in fact or reality, but today those claims can find a home — and a following — thanks to websites and social media.
What’s most disturbing is that some websites create fake news solely for profit. By using advanced software that manipulates the analytics attached to a story, the number of viewers can be made to look far greater than is actually the case.
The more viewers, the more the story gets picked up by other social media, and more viewers means significant payment from some of the sites for corralling all those views.
A recent report on the CBS News show “60 Minutes” cited one former operator of an admitted fake news site who said that with totally fabricated stories, he could make as much as $10,000 a month, depending on how widely the stories were distributed and viewed.
And some politicians, even as high up as President Donald Trump, have taken advantage of the situation by claiming that stories they simply disagree with or don’t like are fake news. To be clear, that is simply not the case. Fake news is just as the name implies — fake, phony, a collection of lies or half-truths, often written with the intent of undermining the work of responsible news operations.
David Chavern, CEO of the News Media Alliance, put it simply: “Making stuff up is easy. What is hard is checking facts and digging up stories that powerful people want to keep hidden.”
It’s become far too common to criticize and disparage the news media, from the national level down to local outlets. But in a time when fake news runs rampant, it’s important to trust and rely on the real media and the journalists who work hard to continue to do their jobs under increasingly difficult circumstance.
Local newspaper staffs remain committed to responsible journalism built on the premise that facts matter and that we are obligated to provide readers with reliable, verifiable information. We stand ready to continue the fight against fake news sites and are proud to engage in real news.
There have always been conspiracy theorists spouting allegations that have little basis in fact or reality, but today those claims can find a home — and a following — thanks to websites and social media.