We're under siege by misinformation

Print journalism is under siege and is being replaced by a volcano of social media sources with virtually no insistence on truth.

The talking heads on major U.S. networks rely on print journalism for fact-based news, as indicated by the number of times that we hear, “as first reported by …”. Unfortunately, some of them also spread the proliferating conspiracy theories.

Igniting the centre of the volcano of Qanon-type conspiracies are Alex Jones types who spew out hateful garbage through various media.

With him are those who are consumed by the most radical messages and are truly dangerous.

What originates in the centre also runs out like lava, though, to influence millions more people by encouraging distrust of education, science, the law, all educated expertise and any government oversight.

Only in the centre of the volcano do people believe that California wildfires were caused by Jewish lasers from space, as repeated by Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene. But many buy Gwyneth Paltrow's bizarre remedies.

Others refuse to wear masks or get vaccinated against disease. None of us are unaffected by the conspiracy theory volcano. Some of that distrust is implanted in each of us, and none of us is immune to the actions of the true believers among us.

Not all information is equal; in some cases we get what we pay for.

If we are going to have reliable sources of information, we need to be willing to pay writers and strengthen newspapers.

David Steele, Regina