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Is fake news an enemy of the people?

Is fake news an enemy of the people?

  • Total voters
    49
Josie

Josie

*probably reading smut*
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Is "news" that is purposefully false or misleading something we should be battling against as our enemy? Why or why not?
 
Josie said:
Is "news" that is purposefully false or misleading something we should be battling against as our enemy? Why or why not?
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Another ‘slippery slope’..........we have so many needs as a country right now, some common ground is my first choice.
 
Josie said:
Is "news" that is purposefully false or misleading something we should be battling against as our enemy? Why or why not?
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I consider the MSM to be the main conveyor of "Fake News" and we need to get pre ordained agenda narratives out of the MSM. Of course, since the MSM is controlled by only 5 or 6 individuals it presents the Corporatism can run amok syndrome. Also the buying power of the MSM's "for sale" marketing mechanisms.
/
 
Tabloids have been around forever. Only idiots are incapable of critical evaluation and no amount of regulations or standards will ever change that. People need to stop blaming others, expecting to be spoon fed their truth and otherwise acting like automatons. If someone believes everything they read, from any source, they're hopeless.

Fake news is not an enemy. Stupid people are.
 
Rexedgar said:
Another ‘slippery slope’..........we have so many needs as a country right now, some common ground is my first choice.
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Not sure what you mean here.
 
Josie said:
Not sure what you mean here.
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If a people start legislating “free speech,” where does it stop? I hate to sound like the poster that speaks in riddles, but, we used to be smarter.....
 
Rexedgar said:
If a people start legislating “free speech,” where does it stop? I hate to sound like the poster that speaks in riddles, but, we used to be smarter.....
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"Legislating"? I'm just asking if fake news is a negative for the country. It's certainly not a friend, is it?

Seems pretty common sense answer to me in it's simplest form -- of course media who misrepresent, lie and falsify information aren't good for our country. There's nothing positive about so-called journalists who are supposed to report the truth instead report lies, half-truths or out-of-context information. I've chosen to not watch any news networks at all on a daily basis for this very reason.
 
Josie said:
"Legislating"? I'm just asking if fake news is a negative for the country. It's certainly not a friend, is it?

Seems pretty common sense answer to me in it's simplest form -- of course media who misrepresent, lie and falsify information aren't good for our country. There's nothing positive about so-called journalists who are supposed to report the truth instead report lies, half-truths or out-of-context information. I've chosen to not watch any news networks at all on a daily basis for this very reason.
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Your OP speaks about “battling” fake news. If we are battling something, how do we do that? That’s where legislation comes in; you prefer pitchforks and torches after dark?



You said nothing about negative?
 
Rexedgar said:
Your OP speaks about “battling” fake news. If we are battling something, how do we do that? That’s where legislation comes in; you prefer pitchforks and torches after dark?
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You can battle things in a number of ways that have nothing to do with making more laws. I gave an example -- I don't watch them anymore. If more people stop watching, listening, reading then their ratings go down, they lose money, etc. You can also battle back by using your voice whether that be by phone or on social media.

I'm not for making any laws suppressing freedom of speech.

So would you say that fake news is an enemy? If you don't like the word "enemy" -- is fake news a negative thing in this country?
 
Rexedgar said:
If a people start legislating “free speech,” where does it stop? I hate to sound like the poster that speaks in riddles, but, we used to be smarter.....
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For me it is one thing to spout opinions and it is known as an opinion.
It is another to spout a article as the truth when they know it is not. Just look at some of the conspiracies that are published and those who buy into them.
 
Josie said:
"Legislating"? I'm just asking if fake news is a negative for the country. It's certainly not a friend, is it?

Seems pretty common sense answer to me in it's simplest form -- of course media who misrepresent, lie and falsify information aren't good for our country. There's nothing positive about so-called journalists who are supposed to report the truth instead report lies, half-truths or out-of-context information. I've chosen to not watch any news networks at all on a daily basis for this very reason.
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So you never peek at MSM??? We know Trump does
 
Josie said:
I've chosen to not watch any news networks at all on a daily basis for this very reason.
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:lamo

Just learn to evaluate and appreciate other perspectives.
 
Josie said:
You can battle things in a number of ways that have nothing to do with making more laws. I gave an example -- I don't watch them anymore. If more people stop watching, listening, reading then their ratings go down, they lose money, etc. You can also battle back by using your voice whether that be by phone or on social media.

I'm not for making any laws suppressing freedom of speech.






So would you say that fake news is an enemy? If you don't like the word "enemy" -- is fake news a negative thing in this country?
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I’m with ecofarm on this. People need to wise up. Sorry to muck up your thread....
 
Josie said:
Is "news" that is purposefully false or misleading something we should be battling against as our enemy? Why or why not?
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I voted yes but, there is the free speech argument. Besides, who knows what is real these days. Both sides will argue their opinion is correct....regardless the consequences.
 
Since Trump lies every single day, often several times per day, and given his position, he alone is the biggest purveyor of fake news. So, yes, he is an enemy of the people.
 
JANFU said:
So you never peek at MSM??? We know Trump does
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Hardly ever. If there's a big breaking news story I'll turn on CNN.
 
ecofarm said:
:lamo

Just learn to evaluate and appreciate other perspectives.
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I'm not speaking about "other perspectives". Those are opinions, viewpoints, beliefs. I get plenty of that here.

I'm speaking about NEWS. Facts. Truth.
 
Rexedgar said:
I’m with ecofarm on this. People need to wise up. Sorry to muck up your thread....
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I agree that people need to be smarter.

But I'm asking if journalists reporting fake news -- lies, half-truths, out-of-context quotes, etc. is a negative? I would call it an "enemy" because I think it's pretty destructive, but you don't have to use that strong of a word if you don't want. Do you think fake news is a negative thing in this country?
 
Josie said:
I'm not speaking about "other perspectives". Those are opinions, viewpoints, beliefs. I get plenty of that here.

I'm speaking about NEWS. Facts. Truth.
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That too can be evaluated instead of feared. You're being sold politically-serving fear-mongering.
 
WCH said:
I voted yes but, there is the free speech argument. Besides, who knows what is real these days. Both sides will argue their opinion is correct....regardless the consequences.
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Very true.

In terms of the "free speech argument" -- I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to speak. Not saying you were saying I was saying that....just clearing that up for anyone who was confused. :)
 
beancounter said:
Since Trump lies every single day, often several times per day, and given his position, he alone is the biggest purveyor of fake news. So, yes, he is an enemy of the people.
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Would you say anyone who lies and misrepresents the facts to the American people is an enemy?
 
ecofarm said:
That too can be evaluated instead of feared. You're being sold politically-serving fear-mongering.
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Feared? Who said anything about being afraid of it?

My entire point is to evaluate it and reject it because it's bad for the country.
 
Josie said:
I agree that people need to be smarter.

But I'm asking if journalists reporting fake news -- lies, half-truths, out-of-context quotes, etc. is a negative? I would call it an "enemy" because I think it's pretty destructive, but you don't have to use that strong of a word if you don't want. Do you think fake news is a negative thing in this country?
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It seems that you want me to state one or the other; let’s look at marketing. We are bombarded every waking hour by someone that wants to separate us from our money. There outright scams, deceptive advertising, small print and screens of text that scroll by faster than they can be read. We are in the middle of a national crisis because slick people have figured out how to sway opinions and the like. If you see a product that states it will deliver all of your desires, do you do some additional research, or do you just jump in. The term that I have difficulty with is “fake news.”
 
Rexedgar said:
It seems that you want me to state one or the other; let’s look at marketing. We are bombarded every waking hour by someone that wants to separate us from our money. There outright scams, deceptive advertising, small print and screens of text that scroll by faster than they can be read. We are in the middle of a national crisis because slick people have figured out how to sway opinions and the like. If you see a product that states it will deliver all of your desires, do you do some additional research, or do you just jump in. The term that I have difficulty with is “fake news.”
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Again, I'm agreeing with you that we need to be intelligent enough to see through things like that.

I define "fake news" as the same thing I've repeated already --- journalists and news organizations outright lying, misrepresenting facts and taking statements out-of-context. They say they are reporting "the news," but it's full of misrepresentations of the facts. Do you not consider that to be news that isn't real?
 
Josie said:
Again, I'm agreeing with you that we need to be intelligent enough to see through things like that.

I define "fake news" as the same thing I've repeated already --- journalists and news organizations outright lying, misrepresenting facts and taking statements out-of-context. They say they are reporting "the news," but it's full of misrepresentations of the facts. Do you not consider that to be news that isn't real?
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Give me a few examples of “fake news” that you have encountered, please. One of my problems with the term “fake news,” is that it has become a mantra expressed almost every time POTUS has gotten in front of a microphone. After so many times it loses some punch....
 
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