• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Fake News/Media Syndrome

How serious is fake or erroneous news

  • Total voters
    55
NeverTrumpGOP said:
Easy you guys are freaking out about the left and how they chose not to talk about sexual assault until right now but yet you support candidates who do the same thing and worse! Republicans are still largely ignoring the issue unless another Democrat goes down.
Click to expand...

Give me some examples in context please. The topic is media bias/dishonesty/misinformation.
 
Last edited:
Seth Rich, Pizzagate, Benghazi, etc,

The right has some nerve talking about fake news, when they're kings of it.
 
AlbqOwl said:
I hope it is possible at DP to have a serious, civil discussion re the serious business of media coverage that is:

1. Biased to the point of dishonesty
2. Erroneous to the point of incompetence
3. Fake news in that it is information created or repeated or represented in a way that is deliberately false.

Based on posts and people recruited to be talking heads on television, it seems obvious some think this syndrome doesn't exist at all or it is purely an invention of Fox News. Others are diligently pointing out that it does exist and is mean, cruel, hateful, and detrimental to us as a society whether in the mainstream media, on the internet, or on social media.

So what do you think? This is the thread to express your opinions and impressions and also to post examples of fake/erroneous/misrepresented news that you run across and/or examples of news labeled 'fake' that turned out to be true.
Click to expand...
Trump is one of the worst sources of lies and fake information.
 
AlbqOwl said:
I'll start with this piece from the Daily Caller listing seven times this year that CNN has botched or put out fake/erroneous news:

LIST: CNN's Fake News Stories In 2017 | The Daily Caller

These include:
--Comey testimony
--Scaramucci smear
--Fake news about fake news
--Feeding fish in Japan
--The President's knowledge of Japanese cars
--Funding of the Dossier
--Don Jr. and Wikilieaks

And that's just CNN. Let's see other examples or examples of news declared fake that was actually true.
Click to expand...

You left off Fox News: FOX's file: | PunditFact

I wonder how that happened...

:roll:
 
AlbqOwl said:
Maybe you have a serious example of fake news or inaccurate reporting? Surely one lighthearted moment in a newscast does not constitute objectionable reporting. Fox is after all a 24/7 news station and they do break from the serious stuff now and then as ALL such news organizations do.
Click to expand...

There is no excuse for what they did. This has been an ongoing issue with them for quite some time now. I know they have been and are in the tank for Trump--but NEWS like that is breaking news, not cheeseburger news. Sean Hannity is a joke, and I feel sorry for those real journalists, like Brit Hume, Chris Wallace & Shep Smith that are kept behind locked doors so others can promote their conspiracy theories on this network.

Even FOX NEWS employees were embarrassed about it.

 
AlbqOwl said:
I hope it is possible at DP to have a serious, civil discussion re the serious business of media coverage that is:

1. Biased to the point of dishonesty
2. Erroneous to the point of incompetence
3. Fake news in that it is information created or repeated or represented in a way that is deliberately false.

Based on posts and people recruited to be talking heads on television, it seems obvious some think this syndrome doesn't exist at all or it is purely an invention of Fox News. Others are diligently pointing out that it does exist and is mean, cruel, hateful, and detrimental to us as a society whether in the mainstream media, on the internet, or on social media.

So what do you think? This is the thread to express your opinions and impressions and also to post examples of fake/erroneous/misrepresented news that you run across and/or examples of news labeled 'fake' that turned out to be true.
Click to expand...

With all respect, it's easier to find news stories that are labeled true and turn out to be "fake".

Regarding the existence of news stories that are intentionally slanted, selectively edited to demonstrate a particular narrative, improperly edited for accuracy and are just outright lies, there are plenty on both sides of the politically biased media.

It is virtually impossible to find a story that is only the clean presentation of facts. We do find a lot of impartiality in sports coverage, although I can't understand why they don't portray Brady as the Devil incarnate that he is.

When Anderson Cooper actual rolls his eyes during an interview with an opposition source, that is ridiculous.

When Candy Crowley elects to team up with one side during a presidential debate against the opposition, that is ridiculous.

When FOX and CNN decide to back a particular candidate and deliver propaganda every day during the campaign and try to diminish the opposition, that is ridiculous.

When Dan Rather AND the CBS Editorial Staff intentionally present an unfounded, untrue and poorly sourced lie about W. Bush because they view him as the opposition, that is ridiculous.

There is news and there are actual, factual events that occur. Present the facts, provide context if needed and then, STFU.

Sadly, our vaunted Fourth Estate is now a propaganda machine. Freedom of the press has resulted in a lying gang of abusive, self important thugs. They are on a par with reality TV.

We need an amendment to grant us freedom from the press.
 
Last edited:
SMTA said:
Trump is one of the worst sources of lies and fake information.
Click to expand...

This thread is not about President Trump and I would appreciate any comments or criticisms about him be taken to one of the umpteenth zillion threads already out there for that purpose.

This thread is about media bias/disinformation/fake news. Please focus on that.
 
jet57 said:
You left off Fox News: FOX's file: | PunditFact

I wonder how that happened...

:roll:
Click to expand...

Fox News has nothing to do with a post about CNN so there was no reason to include it. Now if you have any credible information showing Fox news putting out bad journalism, post it please. Not what somebody said they said though--I want evidence of what they actually said.
 
Oreo said:
There is no excuse for what they did. This has been an ongoing issue with them for quite some time now. I know they have been and are in the tank for Trump--but NEWS like that is breaking news, not cheeseburger news. Sean Hannity is a joke, and I feel sorry for those real journalists, like Brit Hume, Chris Wallace & Shep Smith that are kept behind locked doors so others can promote their conspiracy theories on this network.

Even FOX NEWS employees were embarrassed about it.

Click to expand...


Okay you don't like jokes about cheeseburgers. But unless you can show that it is fake news, skewed news, intentionally erroneous news, it is not an issue in this thread. I don't take a heavily biased person saying what they did say as credible when he doesn't show what they said in context and honestly. And what he thinks the other employees were embarrassed about isn't the topic of this thread either.
 
code1211 said:
With all respect, it's easier to find news stories that are labeled true and turn out to be "fake".

Regarding the existence of news stories that are intentionally slanted, selectively edited to demonstrate a particular narrative, improperly edited for accuracy and are just outright lies, there are plenty on both sides of the politically biased media.

It is virtually impossible to find a story that is only the clean presentation of facts. We do find a lot of impartiality in sports coverage, although I can't understand why they don't portray Brady as the Devil incarnate that he is.

When Anderson Cooper actual rolls his eyes during an interview with an opposition source, that is ridiculous.

When Candy Crowley elects to team up with one side during a presidential debate against the opposition, that is ridiculous.

When FOX and CNN decide to back a particular candidate and deliver propaganda every day during the campaign and try to diminish the opposition, that is ridiculous.

When Dan Rather AND the CBS Editorial Staff intentionally present an unfounded, untrue and poorly sourced lie about W. Bush because they view him as the opposition, that is ridiculous.

There is news and there are actual, factual events that occur. Present the facts, provide context if needed and then, STFU.

Sadly, our vaunted Fourth Estate is now a propaganda machine. Freedom of the press has resulted in a lying gang of abusive, self important thugs. They are on a par with reality TV.

We need an amendment to grant us freedom from the press.
Click to expand...

While there is some of your post I would agree with and some that I would disagree with, it still misses the point of this thread. I think a lot of them miss the boat on what the news of the day should be, but that is a different topic.

Here I am more interested that some intellectual honesty, ethics, and decency be utilized in what they do report. I think they deliberately use deceptive, dishonest, unethical practices to prompt the public into thinking a certain way about something and I think that is terribly terribly dangerous and wrong when they are allowed to get away with it. I can accept somebody really coming up with the wrong conclusion or a dubious opinion about something so long as they keep everything in context and present it honestly.
 
AlbqOwl said:
I hope it is possible at DP to have a serious, civil discussion re the serious business of media coverage that is:

1. Biased to the point of dishonesty
2. Erroneous to the point of incompetence
3. Fake news in that it is information created or repeated or represented in a way that is deliberately false.

Based on posts and people recruited to be talking heads on television, it seems obvious some think this syndrome doesn't exist at all or it is purely an invention of Fox News. Others are diligently pointing out that it does exist and is mean, cruel, hateful, and detrimental to us as a society whether in the mainstream media, on the internet, or on social media.

So what do you think? This is the thread to express your opinions and impressions and also to post examples of fake/erroneous/misrepresented news that you run across and/or examples of news labeled 'fake' that turned out to be true.
Click to expand...

What I think is cable news caters to their audience. That the cable news stations, all of them, are biased toward their politics and political agenda. Fox has become a mouth piece for the RNC, MSNBC is the propaganda wing for the DNC and CNN is at war with President Trump. Personally, I don't trust any of the cable news stations to deliver the straight and honest news without a bias one way or the other. Is that the same as fake news, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure I understand what fake news actually is.

If fake news is reporting something that never happened, then I understand that. If it is reporting with a political spin, that has been going on since CNN came on the air. The left rails about Fox, the right about CNN and MSNBC. I don't trust any of them, if I hear or see an interesting report on one, I will research it a bit to verify what is reported. I think it is a darn shame one can't trust any of these networks to report just the news, just the facts without distorting the story to suit their political view point.

But with cable news, it is all about money. Making money with high ratings. That means each network must maintain the viewership they have and then enlarge it. If they don't they fall behind in the money game. My advice, don't trust none of them. They all have their own agenda, political philosophy and ideology. Their goal isn't to report the factual news, it is more to indoctrinate so you will vote for the candidates of the political party they support.

This bias has become much more overt since Trump became president, but it has always been there.
 
AlbqOwl said:
I hope it is possible at DP to have a serious, civil discussion re the serious business of media coverage that is:

1. Biased to the point of dishonesty
2. Erroneous to the point of incompetence
3. Fake news in that it is information created or repeated or represented in a way that is deliberately false.

Based on posts and people recruited to be talking heads on television, it seems obvious some think this syndrome doesn't exist at all or it is purely an invention of Fox News. Others are diligently pointing out that it does exist and is mean, cruel, hateful, and detrimental to us as a society whether in the mainstream media, on the internet, or on social media.

So what do you think? This is the thread to express your opinions and impressions and also to post examples of fake/erroneous/misrepresented news that you run across and/or examples of news labeled 'fake' that turned out to be true.
Click to expand...



It was a nice attempt to have a civil discussion, thanks for that. Notice where all the flack and criticism comes from. It says much.
 
AlbqOwl said:
This thread is not about President Trump and I would appreciate any comments or criticisms about him be taken to one of the umpteenth zillion threads already out there for that purpose.

This thread is about media bias/disinformation/fake news. Please focus on that.
Click to expand...

And Trump is a horrific source of disinformation and fake news, which perfectly fits the criteria.
 
Perotista said:
What I think is cable news caters to their audience. That the cable news stations, all of them, are biased toward their politics and political agenda. Fox has become a mouth piece for the RNC, MSNBC is the propaganda wing for the DNC and CNN is at war with President Trump. Personally, I don't trust any of the cable news stations to deliver the straight and honest news without a bias one way or the other. Is that the same as fake news, I'm not sure. I'm not even sure I understand what fake news actually is.

If fake news is reporting something that never happened, then I understand that. If it is reporting with a political spin, that has been going on since CNN came on the air. The left rails about Fox, the right about CNN and MSNBC. I don't trust any of them, if I hear or see an interesting report on one, I will research it a bit to verify what is reported. I think it is a darn shame one can't trust any of these networks to report just the news, just the facts without distorting the story to suit their political view point.

But with cable news, it is all about money. Making money with high ratings. That means each network must maintain the viewership they have and then enlarge it. If they don't they fall behind in the money game. My advice, don't trust none of them. They all have their own agenda, political philosophy and ideology. Their goal isn't to report the factual news, it is more to indoctrinate so you will vote for the candidates of the political party they support.

This bias has become much more overt since Trump became president, but it has always been there.
Click to expand...

A fair analysis though I am not seeing Fox being a mouthpiece so much for the RNC as it is for conservatism in general. I don't see them cutting errant Republicans any slack. And they do invite credible people who are not raving lunatics or weirdos to give the opposition point of view.

Hannity, the most vocal and outspoken champion of the President's agenda for instance, cut Roy Moore absolutely no slack in a positively brutal interview awhile back with Sean asking him every hard question any leftist would have asked him. But it was an excellent interview in which Moore was not allowed to duck the questions--he really didn't try to--but he was allowed to answer those questions and give his side of it. It was obvious that Sean was still uncertain as to where the truth lies in that situation and he does not take a position on it, but he was both tough and fair and I felt that I was watching true journalism being done. The questions were honest and real without having any of the 'when did you stop beating your wife' aspect to them that we so often see say in Presidential debates.

That's all I ask of any of the media. Be tough. Be specific. But be honest and fair and don't extrapolate what is said into something that wasn't said in order to make a person easier to criticize and attack.
 
I have not watched Network/cable/TV news or any TV since 1990. I am an Internet junkie and search out balanced viewpoints, and they are definitely diametrically opposed to USA MSM. The USA media promotes a NeoCon and CIA agenda that distorts all issues to promote war, create enemies, support the MIC, and generate support to promote future leadership partisan to their agenda. The Agenda is World Domination or Unipolarity, or New World Order or whatever acronym is being promoted to delude the electorate. The Agenda was operating smoothly until Russia, Putin, and other BRICS nations realized the Western Reserve Banks were using economic collusion to control Nations. Alternative economic institutions are being created as we speak to diminish this Western economic power. The USA will not tolerate equals among banking because it would lead to the collapse of the Fiat Dollar (money because we say it is), and is earnestly attempting to derail these banking harbingers. That is why Russia, China, etc. are enemies, not because of any human rights issues, nor democracy and freedom, nor liberty and justice for all. It's about greed and controlling the World for CORPORATISM/FASCISM USA style. I don't think you'll read that in your USA MSM mindbenders special. You should because it is the real World threat. A $700 billion Military Offense budget when we're not at war? Corporate tax breaks instead of local infrastructure rebuilding or wholly new infrastructure. It's all about steering any monies, new and old, into the existing .01% of the status quo. That's certainly not the American Dream. That is only the tip of the iceberg of what those that control the USA MSM don't want you to know about. It's all Conspiracy Theory, don't ya' know? I think the erroneous MSM is the 6 wholly owned major sources of USA news/agenda adjusted and approved at the highest levels.
/
 
SMTA said:
And Trump is a horrific source of disinformation and fake news, which perfectly fits the criteria.
Click to expand...

President Trump is not the media. This thread is about media bias/disinformation/bias. Again if you can focus on that please do. Otherwise I suggest you go to one of many many Trump bashing threads out there or start your own.
 
holbritter said:
It was a nice attempt to have a civil discussion, thanks for that. Notice where all the flack and criticism comes from. It says much.
Click to expand...

Yes, but we don't have to participate in the flack.

And thanks. This is a topic dear and near to my heart, and I do believe it needs a good objective airing.
 
DaveFagan said:
I have not watched Network/cable/TV news or any TV since 1990. I am an Internet junkie and search out balanced viewpoints, and they are definitely diametrically opposed to USA MSM. The USA media promotes a NeoCon and CIA agenda that distorts all issues to promote war, create enemies, support the MIC, and generate support to promote future leadership partisan to their agenda. The Agenda is World Domination or Unipolarity, or New World Order or whatever acronym is being promoted to delude the electorate. The Agenda was operating smoothly until Russia, Putin, and other BRICS nations realized the Western Reserve Banks were using economic collusion to control Nations. Alternative economic institutions are being created as we speak to diminish this Western economic power. The USA will not tolerate equals among banking because it would lead to the collapse of the Fiat Dollar (money because we say it is), and is earnestly attempting to derail these banking harbingers. That is why Russia, China, etc. are enemies, not because of any human rights issues, nor democracy and freedom, nor liberty and justice for all. It's about greed and controlling the World for CORPORATISM/FASCISM USA style. I don't think you'll read that in your USA MSM mindbenders special. You should because it is the real World threat. A $700 billion Military Offense budget when we're not at war? Corporate tax breaks instead of local infrastructure rebuilding or wholly new infrastructure. It's all about steering any monies, new and old, into the existing .01% of the status quo. That's certainly not the American Dream. That is only the tip of the iceberg of what those that control the USA MSM don't want you to know about. It's all Conspiracy Theory, don't ya' know? I think the erroneous MSM is the 6 wholly owned major sources of USA news/agenda adjusted and approved at the highest levels.
/
Click to expand...

Well thanks for your contribution. That's quite a bit to digest, but as much as I despise and deplore dishonest journalism, I honestly think a whole bunch of the truly idiotic stuff I see in the media--and I am a media junkie--is put out by people who are honestly too uneducated and too dumb to think through such a conspiracy. :)
 
AlbqOwl said:
President Trump is not the media. This thread is about media bias/disinformation/bias. Again if you can focus on that please do. Otherwise I suggest you go to one of many many Trump bashing threads out there or start your own.
Click to expand...

Media is defined as 'a means of communication that reaches out and influences people widely'.
Trump's specific communication medium of Twitter, along with his constant speaking publicly, absolutely falls within the definition of media.
 
AlbqOwl said:
Fox News has nothing to do with a post about CNN so there was no reason to include it. Now if you have any credible information showing Fox news putting out bad journalism, post it please. Not what somebody said they said though--I want evidence of what they actually said.
Click to expand...

The stuff IS sourced!

So fake news is only about CNN.
 
AlbqOwl said:
A fair analysis though I am not seeing Fox being a mouthpiece so much for the RNC as it is for conservatism in general. I don't see them cutting errant Republicans any slack. And they do invite credible people who are not raving lunatics or weirdos to give the opposition point of view.

Hannity, the most vocal and outspoken champion of the President's agenda for instance, cut Roy Moore absolutely no slack in a positively brutal interview awhile back with Sean asking him every hard question any leftist would have asked him. But it was an excellent interview in which Moore was not allowed to duck the questions--he really didn't try to--but he was allowed to answer those questions and give his side of it. It was obvious that Sean was still uncertain as to where the truth lies in that situation and he does not take a position on it, but he was both tough and fair and I felt that I was watching true journalism being done. The questions were honest and real without having any of the 'when did you stop beating your wife' aspect to them that we so often see say in Presidential debates.

That's all I ask of any of the media. Be tough. Be specific. But be honest and fair and don't extrapolate what is said into something that wasn't said in order to make a person easier to criticize and attack.
Click to expand...

From my view point, Fox has gone from being as you stated, Pro conservative to pro Trump. Prior to Trump's election conservatism and the RNC were basically one. Now Trump waged a war against the RNC and what was once more traditional conservatism or conservatism represented by the Republican Party. This I say as all during the Primaries Trump supporters referred to him as a populist, a nationalist and even a nativist. Almost every name but a conservative.

I never considered Trump a conservative, although it appears most people do today. I never considered him a Republican either. An opportunist, yes, but not an Republican. I think, at least for the time being that Trump has taken over the Republican Party. Taken from those lifelong Republicans who put their hearts and souls into the party. I don't think Trumpism will last. He's is even being fought by some Republicans in congress. Now this could be because once Trump won the nomination, he never tried to unify the party behind him. I suppose he viewed those Republican never -Trumpers just as much as an enemy as any Democrat to include Hillary Clinton.

This is a bit off the subject, but it is interesting that when it comes to Trump's job approval or even his favorability among Republicans, the polls show approximately 45% of all republicans strongly approve of the job he is doing or view him favorable with another 35% of Republicans somewhat approve of his job performance or view him somewhat favorably. That is an 80% favorable rating among Republicans, but there are that 35% who somewhat approve or view him favorably that could switch fairly easily from that column into the somewhat disapprove or view him somewhat unfavorably. I don't think Trump is that strong even within the GOP.

I could be wrong, I certainly been wrong before. Time will tell.
 
SMTA said:
Media is defined as 'a means of communication that reaches out and influences people widely'.
Trump's specific communication medium of Twitter, along with his constant speaking publicly, absolutely falls within the definition of media.
Click to expand...

We all communicate and most of us do so on the internet, via letters to the editor, or interviewed on the record. But we are not the media. And neither is the President.
 
jet57 said:
The stuff IS sourced!

So fake news is only about CNN.
Click to expand...

Sigh. Did you miss the part that the post re CNN was an example and not intended to be all emcompassing of all media? If you post something about a specific burglary or a specific murder as an example of crime, are you obligated to mention all burglaries and all murders everywhere? The post was specifically about CNN. Other posts have been about other aspects of the media.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom